Fight against menstrual insecurity. This is the objective set by Marlène Schiappa, Secretary of State in charge of equality. On the occasion of the World Feminine Hygiene Day on May 28, the government announced that it was studying a project to experiment with free sanitary protection in “collective places”. Senator Patricia Schillinger (LRM) has been tasked with looking into “the objectives and modalities” of its implementation.
“Lift the taboo of rules”
Last December, the same parliamentarian in charge of the project had already proposed, as part of the 2019 finance bill, an amendment for the free distribution of tampons and towels for women in precarious situations in schools, hospitals or prisons. A year earlier, an online petition addressed to Agnès Buzyn also called for free access to periodic protection for low-income women. In Scotland, young pupils in primary, middle and high schools are already provided free of charge.
In order to develop “a common strategy” aiming to “lift the rules taboo“ in society, a meeting brought together heads of associations, entrepreneurs and industrialists as well as the Secretaries of State Brune Poirson (ecological transition), Christelle Dubos (health), Agnès Pannier-Runacher (economy and finance). The subject of informing consumers about the composition of the protections was mentioned in particular.
Subject to debate
Because the list of components of tampons and pads continues to be of concern. In July 2018, the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES) concluded that the presence of chemical substances “in very low concentration” in female intimate protections, in particular traces of pesticides, did not present a risk. But the debate regularly returns to the table.
Last February, the magazine 60 million consumersonce again highlighted the presence of unwanted residues, and denounced the lack of transparency of brands. They are also still not required to display the composition of their female intimate protections.
As for the price, the VAT rate applied to feminine hygiene protection products was also the subject of heated discussions in 2015. The deputies had finally adopted a measure aimed at lowering it, by reducing it from 20% to 5, 5%.
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