A public interest petition has been filed at the Lahore High Court, seeking the removal of taxes on menstrual health products, commonly referred to as the “period tax.” The petition argues that taxing essential sanitary products disproportionately burdens women and girls, effectively treating a basic health necessity as a luxury.
The petition highlights that menstrual hygiene products, including sanitary napkins, are subject to multiple taxes in Pakistan, with locally manufactured products facing an 18 percent sales tax and imports incurring up to 43 percent in combined duties and taxes. Essential raw materials, such as superabsorbent polymer paper, are also heavily taxed, driving prices beyond the reach of many women, particularly in low-income and rural areas. Only about 12 percent of menstruating women in the country currently use commercially manufactured sanitary pads.
Advocates of the petition emphasise the public health and social consequences of this taxation. Girls frequently miss school during their periods, and adult women face challenges in workplace participation due to a lack of affordable sanitary products. Unsafe alternatives, such as rags or newspapers, increase the risk of infections and long-term health issues. Experts warn that period poverty, which affects tens of millions of women in Pakistan, perpetuates cycles of exclusion, educational gaps, and economic inequality.
The petitioners cite international standards, including guidance from the World Health Organization, which recognises menstrual health as a critical issue encompassing physical, psychological, and social dimensions. They argue that Pakistan’s current taxation framework contravenes commitments to gender equality and fails to ensure the basic health rights of nearly half the nation’s population.
By challenging the period tax, the petition seeks to prompt the government to classify menstrual products as essential items or reduce their fiscal burden, ensuring that women and girls have equitable access to sanitary products, education, and opportunities for social and economic participation.
This legal challenge underscores growing awareness of gender-responsive policy and the urgent need for systemic reform in public health and taxation frameworks.