Tampons and other menstrual hygiene products are still taxed in 21 states across America. (Viagra, however, is not, which says something about what lawmakers consider a necessity.) On October 11, a coalition of eight different companies are launching a campaign to fight the tampon tax.
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For the brands in the coalition, joining up with their competitors was a no-brainer. “These are our competitors on paper, but we share so many common values and we care about these issues because we care about our consumer,” said Molly Hayward, founder and chief brand officer of Cora, which donates pads and health education for every purchase made.
For some of them, the coalition represents more than just a fight to take down a discriminatory tax, but simply a new and different way of doing business. “We’re using business as a force of good,” said Carinne Chambers-Saini, cofounder of Diva. “We can have competitive products, but we’re still working together to achieve a better world and create more equality for our consumers and our world.”
Jain and Okamoto are hopeful that larger brands will join them. “We’ve DM’d them and sent lots of emails. My hope is once we launch, we’ll see more brands coming on board. We’d love to have the category leaders participate,” Okamoto said. “I think it’s realistic that we’ll see the tax overturned in the next five to seven years if we keep pushing.”
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By Shalene Gupta
Fast Company
