Capitol rally to protest `tampon tax'

Supporters of increasing access to feminine hygiene products will rally Saturday at Oklahoma's state Capitol as part of a national event to raise awareness about the afford ability of women' s menstrual products.

As more states look to end so- called “tampon taxes”

— sales taxes on menstrual products — the movement has spurred a larger, national conversation about making feminine hygiene products available to all women, regardless of their ability to pay.

Women across the nation are painting “tampon taxes” as a gender equality issue that unfairly taxes half of the population for the tampons and pads many women regularly purchase.

Oklahoma is one of 34 states that still impose such a

tax on menstrual products. Jennifer Mayo, who is organizing Saturday's rally, said she sees Oklahoma taking aim to undo its“period tax” down the line, but she's more concerned about providing tampons and pads to women who can't afford such products.

Mayo ,28, is the director of the Canadian County United Way, but has for the past year been studying up on where Oklahoma stands on women's health issues as a sort of passion project. She has grown more interested in pushing period reform in Oklahoma as she has seen what other states have done to improve the access and affordability of feminine hygiene products.

She helped create Equal Period, a coalition of Oklahoma groups that deal with that specific, oncemonthly, women's health issue.

“We started a little coalition trying to figure out how we could move forward as a state and hopefully, be one of the forward-thinking ones that are leading the nation on feminine hygiene on menstrual product reform,” she said.

Now, she' s working with two Democratic state legislators to introduce legislation during Oklahoma's 2020 legislative session to require all public schools, prison sand health departments to have feminine hygiene products on hand at all times for the taking.

Mayo said she' s seen firsthand how the cost of menstrual products can be hard for low-income families to afford. Growing up in Sulphur, Mayo said she had friends in poverty who would ask her for spare products at school.

“That was the first time I realized this was a need,” she said .“I hadn't even started (my period) yet so I was stealing pads f rom my mom and handing them out.”

Saturday's rally from noon to 2 p.m. at Oklahoma's state Capitol is an offshoot of a national Period Day rally in Washington, D.C.

The local rally will have 10 speakers, including Oklahoma City Councilwomen Nikki Nice and JoBeth Hamon and local activists to discuss menstrual poverty, health and inclusion.