Women’s Affairs Minister Eva-Maria Holzleitner said the tax exemption aims to improve women’s health, self-determination, and social fairness by treating these products as necessities rather than luxury items.

Credits: envato elements; Author: IrynaKhabliuk;

This change aligns Austria with a broader European trend toward gender-conscious VAT policy to reduce cost barriers on essential hygiene goods. An estimated 500,000 women in Austria experience period poverty, the government noted, highlighting the financial burden of menstrual products over a lifetime.