Pakistan Plans to Eliminate 18% Tax on Menstrual Products, Yet Affordability Remains a Challenge for the Poorest

Pakistan aims to abolish the sales tax on menstrual pads and tampons starting in July, a move designed to improve affordability in a country where access to and knowledge about menstrual hygiene remain limited.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb announced the removal of the 18 % sales tax this month, describing pads and tampons as indispensable for women’s health, dignity, and full participation in social life.

Women’s rights activists have welcomed the decision as a victory for menstrual health, following a nationwide debate that began last year when an activist sued the government over taxes imposed on sanitary products.

In Pakistan, the world’s fifth‑most‑populous nation, only about 12 % of menstruating girls and women use commercially made sanitary pads, according to UNICEF, while neighboring India reports roughly 36 % usage.

Activists stress that more must be done to help girls and women obtain menstrual products and to erase the stigma surrounding menstruation. In rural areas and conservative households, rags and unhygienic cloth often serve as the only alternatives. UNICEF estimates that one in five Pakistani girls misses school due to her period.

Mahnoor Omer, a 25‑year‑old activist and lawyer who sparked the discussion by filing a high‑court petition to declare sanitary pads essential — akin to basic food items — called the tax cut positive but urged the government to eliminate additional taxes that make up about 40 % of the product price, per UNICEF estimates. Omer was named one of Time magazine’s “Women of the Year” for her advocacy; the court is expected to rule in the final quarter of the year.

Hira Amjad, founder and executive director of DASTAK Foundation, a Pakistani nonprofit that runs menstrual‑health workshops, described the tax cut as a “much‑needed first step,” but noted that while it may assist those with greater means and better urban access, its impact on poorer families — who often must choose between food and menstrual supplies — remains uncertain.

Abeera Mujeeb, an undergraduate IT student in Quetta, said pads and tampons remain unaffordable even for many middle‑class women, wondering how much harder it must be for those with fewer resources while shopping with her mother.

Rabia, a mother of three from Balochistan who goes by her first name only, said she struggles to cover the household’s monthly expense of roughly $40 on menstrual products, while Pakistan’s average monthly salary hovers around $140.

Despite growing conversation about menstrual health, taboos persist widely across the country.

Mujeeb recounted an incident where a teacher reprimanded her for not concealing a pad she was carrying.

Areeba Khan, a 22‑year‑old computer‑science undergraduate in Mastung, said buying menstrual products brings embarrassment; she often waits for the shop to empty before asking for them.

Amjad observed that her workshops revealed Pakistani men feel as uncomfortable discussing menstruation as women, yet younger men and teenage boys are increasingly asking how they can support female relatives.

She added that this shift is vital because men usually control household spending decisions, and women often lack the authority to choose between buying menstrual products or relying on makeshift cloth.

Omer said she will cite the finance minister’s description of sanitary products as “indispensable” in future legal actions to improve access to reproductive and menstrual health.

“The finance minister — a man — said that menstrual products are a necessity,” Omer noted. “We can now use that statement as a stepping stone for future cases on better access to clean bathrooms and sex education.”

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