Menstrual justice also means access to clean water, sanitation facilities, accurate education
In Pakistan, a court victory won by two young lawyers has moved the government to abolish the sales tax on sanitary products—a levy long criticized as a penalty on women for their biology. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb announced the removal of an 18 percent sales tax on locally made products and a 25 percent customs duty on imports, framing menstrual health for the first time in official language as a matter of dignity and full participation in society. The decision, celebrated by UN Women and period rights advocates alike, arrives as a meaningful threshold crossed—yet those who fought for it are among the first to say the deeper work of access, sanitation, education, and cultural change has only just begun.
- Millions of Pakistani women have been forced to rely on unsafe cloth alternatives because commercial sanitary products, taxed as luxuries, were simply beyond their financial reach.
- Two lawyers in their twenties filed a legal challenge framing the tax as a 'pink tax'—a structural penalty on women—and their campaign gathered thousands of signatures and national attention.
- The government's announcement marked a rare moment of official language shift, with the finance minister describing sanitary products as indispensable to women's health, dignity, and social participation.
- UN Women welcomed the ruling, noting it would help women stay employed and girls remain in school—connecting menstrual access directly to economic and educational equity.
- Campaigners and period rights organizations are tempering celebration with clarity: the tax removal is a beginning, not an end, and affordable access, clean water, sanitation, and destigmatization remain unfinished battles.
In Pakistan, where most women have long relied on cloth or homemade alternatives because commercial sanitary products were priced out of reach, a legal challenge by two young lawyers has forced a historic policy reversal. Mahnoor Omer, 25, and Ahsan Jehangir Khan, 29, argued in court that an 18 percent sales tax on locally made sanitary products—and a 25 percent customs duty on imports—amounted to a biological penalty on women. Their campaign resonated far beyond the courtroom, gathering thousands of signatures and significant social media support.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb announced this month that both taxes would be abolished, describing sanitary products as daily necessities indispensable to women's health, dignity, and full participation in society. The language itself was notable—a departure from the silence and stigma that have historically surrounded menstruation in Pakistan. The government also announced the removal of the sales tax on contraceptives, citing family planning as a national priority.
UN Women welcomed the decision, framing menstrual health as a matter of equality rather than luxury, and noting that affordable access would help women remain in the workforce and keep girls in school. Yet the campaigners themselves were measured in their response. Omer said the fight was far from over, and Bushra Mahnoor of Mahwari Justice was direct: removing a tax does not make products affordable for the most vulnerable women, and true menstrual justice still requires clean water, functioning sanitation, accurate education, and a cultural reckoning with the shame that has long kept the topic in silence. The victory is real—and so is the distance still to travel.
In Pakistan, where millions of women have long relied on unsafe cloth alternatives because commercial sanitary products were simply too expensive, a court victory by two young lawyers has forced the government to reconsider what it means to tax the basic tools of menstrual health. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb announced this month that sanitary towels and related products would no longer carry the sales tax that had made them a luxury item for most Pakistani women. The decision came after Mahnoor Omer, 25, and Ahsan Jehangir Khan, 29, filed a legal challenge arguing that the charges amounted to a "pink tax"—a penalty on women for their biology.
The numbers tell the story of why this matters. Locally manufactured sanitary products in Pakistan have been subject to an 18 percent sales tax, while imported versions face an additional 25 percent customs duty on top of that. Research from Unicef shows that these levies have priced commercial products out of reach for most women in the country. Instead, they rely on cloth or homemade alternatives—solutions that carry real health risks, including increased vulnerability to infection. The tax, in other words, was not merely an inconvenience; it was a barrier to health and dignity.
When Omer and Khan brought their case to court last year, they tapped into something that resonated far beyond the courtroom. Their campaign gained significant traction on social media, and a petition supporting their position gathered thousands of signatures. The government's eventual announcement reflected a shift in how officials were willing to talk about menstruation itself. Aurangzeb described sanitary products as "daily necessities that are indispensable for women's health, dignity and full participation in social activities." That language—treating menstruation as a normal part of life rather than a luxury concern—marked a departure from how these products had been taxed and discussed.
UN Women welcomed the decision, noting that removing the tax would help women remain in the workforce and keep girls in school. The organization framed menstrual health as "a matter of health, dignity and equality—not a luxury." Yet even as the announcement was being celebrated, the campaigners themselves were careful to temper expectations. Omer said the fight was "definitely not over," signaling that removing one tax was only the beginning of what needs to change. The government also announced it would eliminate the 18 percent sales tax on contraceptives, citing Pakistan's position as the world's fifth-most-populous country and framing family planning as a government priority.
Bushra Mahnoor, executive director of Mahwari Justice, a Pakistani organization focused on period rights, offered a broader perspective on what this victory actually means and what it does not. She acknowledged the decision as important—particularly for its role in destigmatizing menstruation in a society where the topic has long been taboo. But she was clear that removing a tax does not solve the deeper problem. Safe sanitary products remain unaffordable for the most vulnerable women in Pakistan, even without the sales tax. True menstrual justice, she argued, requires access to clean water, functioning sanitation facilities, accurate education about menstruation, and a cultural shift away from the shame and silence that still surrounds the topic. "This moment is significant," she said, "but our work is far from over."
Citações Notáveis
Sanitary towels and related items are daily necessities that are indispensable for women's health, dignity and full participation in social activities— Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb
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.— Bushra Mahnoor, executive director of Mahwari Justice
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why did it take a court case to get the government to reconsider taxing something so basic?
Because menstruation had been treated as a consumer luxury rather than a health necessity. The tax was never questioned because the conversation wasn't happening in public.
And now that the tax is gone, the products will be affordable?
The tax removal helps, but it's not a complete solution. Many women still can't afford them even without the 18 percent charge. The real barrier is poverty itself.
So what does menstrual justice actually look like in Pakistan?
It's not just about price. It's about clean water to use the products safely, toilets where girls can manage their periods at school, honest education instead of shame, and a culture that stops treating menstruation as something to hide.
Did the court case change how people talk about this?
Yes. The finance minister's language was striking—he called sanitary products "indispensable for women's health and dignity." That's not how governments usually frame these things. The campaigners forced a conversation that had been silent.
What happens next?
The activists are already pushing for more. One tax down doesn't mean the work is finished. They're looking at the full picture—access, education, infrastructure, stigma. This is just the first step.