Since the beginning of human life on Earth, women have experienced menstruation. It is a natural process that brings life to the planet. However, for much of recorded history, concerns regarding reproductive hygiene have been ignored. Women have used everything from leaves to rags to expensive period products. Some attribute this neglect to patriarchy, others to poverty, and some to lack of awareness. The reason matters less than what is being done to counter it in the 21st century.
A Historic Budget Proposal
Pakistan, a developing nation of the Global South frequently mentioned in international media for its gender violence rates, has taken a step to address this issue. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb proposed in the FY 2026–27 national budget that the 18 per cent tax on tampons, sanitary pads, and contraceptive medicines should be removed. For women of Pakistan, particularly those vocal about the “period tax” and “pink tax,” this came as a moment of personal victory.
Aiza Tanveer Iqbal, a vocal advocate of women’s rights and a master’s student at the National Defence University, Islamabad, said, “When I watched the news online, I could not believe it. Many people think that period products might be affordable for women in the capital; however, they forget that buying something every month adds up very quickly. This is a personal win, but most importantly, a win for the majority of women living in rural Pakistan, who still survive on rags.”
The Scale of the Problem
According to UNICEF and WaterAid, only 12 per cent of women in Pakistan use sanitary pads. With an average income of Rs 35,000 and a single pack of sanitary pads costing Rs 450–600, the majority of women cannot afford them and resort to using rags. A survey of 25,305 young women in rural Pakistan found that 75 per cent reported inappropriate menstrual hygiene practices. Of those, 61.9 per cent used old cloth and 12.6 per cent used nothing at all. Women in the lowest wealth bracket were 4.4 times more likely to rely on these materials than their wealthier peers.
Pakistan’s Structural Tax Problem
Nimra Khalil, a writer and analyst, provided historical context: “Under the Sales Tax Act of 1990, Pakistan put 18 per cent general sales tax on locally manufactured period products, and a 25 per cent additional customs tax on imported ones. Women have been fighting this ever since. Bushra Mahnoor of Mahwari Justice gathered over 10,000 signatures last year, in 2025, demanding the removal of the tax. A constitutional petition was also put forward in the Lahore High Court under Article 199, claiming the tax as gender-biased. Women of Pakistan worked for this change together, and they deserve it.”
The women of Pakistan deserve more than this. They have been suffering for far too long. The budget move fits into a larger pattern of policy attention to women’s issues in Pakistan. In May 2025, Pakistan’s National Assembly passed the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill, setting 18 as the minimum legal age for marriage and criminalising the act for adult males who marry a female child. Punjab simultaneously finalised the Acid Control Act 2025, introducing strict licensing requirements for the sale and manufacture of acid. The Punjab Assembly passed the Women’s Inheritance Rights Bill, creating an ombudsman’s office for inheritance complaints and imposing strict penalties on those who deprive women of their legal share in property. A Domestic Violence Act was enacted in 2026. The federal government also introduced a gender budget statement for 2025–26 and allocated Rs 291 billion as gender-sensitive spending.
However, UNDP noted that women-focused projects made up only 0.2 per cent of the total allocated budget. This shows that major challenges persist for women in Pakistan. The gap between policymaking and policy implementation remains large. Conviction rates for rape remain below 2 per cent. Marital rape is still not criminalised. Women are killed for honour. Female education rates remain low.
Beyond Tax Removal: The Need for Infrastructure
Removing tax on sanitary pads does not protect women from honour killing. It does not ensure a rape survivor receives justice. What it does is show that the government is willing to bring about change. The next step is manufacturing a distribution infrastructure. The 88 per cent of women who do not use pads need supply chains, school programmes, and the removal of stigma that has kept menstruation off Pakistan’s policy agenda for generations. That is how the policymaking and implementation gap will be bridged. This is what the young girls and women of Pakistan deserve.
