The Substantive Representation of Women: The Case of the Reduction of VAT on Sanitary Products

In 2000 the British Government announced that it would reduce Valued Added Tax (VAT) on sanitary products. Informed by the literature on women’s political representation and feminist comparative policy, this article identifies the key actors and actions that account for this policy change. Using a range of research methods (elite interviews and parliamentary data) and techniques (quantitative and qualitative analysis) it establishes that, in this instance, the government’s decision reflected the actions of women representatives, in particular the actions of backbench Labour woman MP – Christine McCafferty. Beyond documenting a single policy change this article offers fresh insights into wider debates about the substantive representation of women.