‘Period tax’ on sanitary products to be abolished, says Pakistan minister
Pakistan plans to abolish “period tax”, in a victory for young campaigners who had taken the government to court over the charges.
Finance minister Muhammad Aurangzeb announced that sanitary towels and related items were “daily necessities that are indispensable for women’s health, dignity and full participation in social activities”, and said he intended to remove the sales tax.
Commercial period products are used only by a minority of women in Pakistan because of their cost, according to research from Unicef. Most use cloth or homemade alternatives that can be unsafe and raise the risk of infection.
Two lawyers, 25-year-old Mahnoor Omer and 29-year-old Ahsan Jehangir Khan, brought a court case last year in a bid to get sanitary products zero-rated, so that they would not be subject to taxes of any kind. They said the charges amounted to a “pink tax” on women.
Their campaign was hugely successful on social media and a supportive petition attracted thousands of signatures.
Locally made period products incur the 18% sales tax in Pakistan, and imported products are subject to an additional 25% customs tax.
UN Women said the decision to abolish the sales tax was a welcome step that would help women stay in work and girls stay in school. It said: “Menstrual health is a matter of health, dignity and equality – not a luxury.”
Omer welcomed the announcement but said the fight was “definitely not over”, and that they would continue to push for the removal of all additional charges on period products.
Bushra Mahnoor, executive director of Mahwari Justice, a Pakistani period rights organisation, said the decision was “just one step towards combating period poverty” in the country.
She told CNN its most valuable effect was probably destigmatising menstruation, but that safe sanitary products remained unaffordable for the most vulnerable women.
She said: “Menstrual justice also means access to clean water, sanitation facilities, accurate menstrual education and a society free from period stigma.
“This moment is significant, but our work is far from over.”
The government will also no longer impose an 18% sales tax on contraceptives, Aurangzeb said.
Abolishing the tax on contraceptives was necessary in the face of “alarming” population growth, he added, saying: “Pakistan is the fifth-largest country in the world in terms of population … Family planning is a top priority of the government.”
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗
Pakistan's finance minister Muhammad Aurangzeb announced the government intends to remove sales tax from sanitary products. Commercial period products currently carry an 18% domestic sales tax and a 25% customs tax on imports, making them unaffordable for most women in the country. A court case brought by lawyers Mahnoor Omer and Ahsan Jehangir Khan challenged these charges as inequitable; the case gained public support through social media. Research from Unicef indicates most Pakistani women use cloth or homemade alternatives due to cost, which carry health risks. The finance minister also announced the removal of an 18% sales tax on contraceptives, citing population growth. Advocates including the case's lawyers and period rights organisations acknowledged the tax removal as progress while noting that affordability, water access, sanitation facilities, education and social stigma remain substantive barriers to menstrual health equity.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗
Pakistan plans to abolish “period tax”, in a victory for young campaigners who had taken the government to court over the charges.
Finance minister Muhammad Aurangzeb announced that sanitary towels and related items were “daily necessities that are indispensable for women’s health, dignity and full participation in social activities”, and said he intended to remove the sales tax.
Commercial period products are used only by a minority of women in Pakistan because of their cost, according to research from Unicef. Most use cloth or homemade alternatives that can be unsafe and raise the risk of infection.
Two lawyers, 25-year-old Mahnoor Omer and 29-year-old Ahsan Jehangir Khan, brought a court case last year in a bid to get sanitary products zero-rated, so that they would not be subject to taxes of any kind. They said the charges amounted to a “pink tax” on women.
Their campaign was hugely successful on social media and a supportive petition attracted thousands of signatures.
Locally made period products incur the 18% sales tax in Pakistan, and imported products are subject to an additional 25% customs tax.
UN Women said the decision to abolish the sales tax was a welcome step that would help women stay in work and girls stay in school. It said: “Menstrual health is a matter of health, dignity and equality – not a luxury.”
Omer welcomed the announcement but said the fight was “definitely not over”, and that they would continue to push for the removal of all additional charges on period products.
Bushra Mahnoor, executive director of Mahwari Justice, a Pakistani period rights organisation, said the decision was “just one step towards combating period poverty” in the country.
She told CNN its most valuable effect was probably destigmatising menstruation, but that safe sanitary products remained unaffordable for the most vulnerable women.
She said: “Menstrual justice also means access to clean water, sanitation facilities, accurate menstrual education and a society free from period stigma.
“This moment is significant, but our work is far from over.”
The government will also no longer impose an 18% sales tax on contraceptives, Aurangzeb said.
Abolishing the tax on contraceptives was necessary in the face of “alarming” population growth, he added, saying: “Pakistan is the fifth-largest country in the world in terms of population … Family planning is a top priority of the government.”
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗
Pakistan's finance minister announced plans to remove sales tax from sanitary products and contraceptives Sanitary products currently incur 18% domestic sales tax and 25% customs tax on imports in Pakistan Two lawyers, Mahnoor Omer (25) and Ahsan Jehangir Khan (29), brought a court case last year seeking zero-rating on sanitary products Commercial period products are used only by a minority of women in Pakistan due to their cost Most Pakistani women use cloth or homemade alternatives that can be unsafe and raise infection risk The campaign attracted thousands of petition signatures and was hugely successful on social media UN Women characterised the decision as a welcome step for gender equality and education access Mahnoor Omer stated the fight was 'definitely not over' and advocates would push for removal of all additional charges Menstrual justice requires not only tax abolition but also clean water access, sanitation facilities, education and stigma reduction The finance minister cited 'alarming' population growth as justification for removing contraceptive taxes
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗
- Pakistan's finance minister announced plans to abolish sales tax on sanitary products, following a court case by two lawyers seeking zero-rating on period products
- The 18% domestic sales tax and 25% import tax on commercial period products currently prices them out of reach for most Pakistani women, who use cloth or homemade alternatives
- Two campaigners, Mahnoor Omer and Ahsan Jehangir Khan, filed the lawsuit; their social media campaign gained thousands of petition signatures
- The government will also remove the 18% sales tax on contraceptives, citing population growth concerns
- Advocates welcomed the tax abolition as a step toward menstrual justice but emphasised work remains on access, water/sanitation, education and stigma reduction