The federal government has proposed to abolish tax on sanitary napkins, women’s health products and contraceptives in the budget for the financial year 2026-27.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb made the announcement while presenting the federal budget, saying essential elements for women’s health were daily necessities linked to dignity and social participation.
“Essential items for women’s health, such as sanitary napkins and related products, are daily necessities essential for women’s health, dignity and full participation in social activities,” the Finance Minister said in his budget speech.
“Therefore, it is proposed to abolish tax on sanitary napkins and related items,” he added.
Aurangzeb also announced the removal of the tax on contraceptives, linking the measure to Pakistan’s demographic challenge and the government’s family planning priorities.
“The second measure in this regard concerns the removal of the tax on contraceptives,” he said.
“Pakistan is the fifth largest country in the world in terms of population. The population growth rate is alarming and family planning is a top priority of the government. That is why we are completely abolishing the tax levied on contraceptives.”
The proposal was welcomed by rights advocates and economic analysts, while warning that the announcement is expected to result in a real reduction in prices for consumers.
“Neglected for too long”
Lawyer and human rights activist Mahnoor Omar said PK Press Club.tv that the government removing the pink tax as well as the tax on contraceptives is a step in the right direction to finally show that it is ready to take women’s health, and in particular sexual and reproductive health, seriously.
“This is not only an area where a lot of taboos and stigma exist, but it is also an area that has been neglected for too long. Many other countries in the region have already abolished it, so I personally welcome this decision, and I hope that this is just the first step in the right direction, where we start to take women’s health and well-being more seriously,” she noted.
Not only is it an area where many taboos and stigmas exist, but also one that has been neglected for far too long.
— Lawyer and human rights activist Mahnoor Omar
She noted that any financial or economic shortfall caused by the removal of this tax will in fact be offset as more girls will now be able to go to school and more women will be able to take care of themselves without having to choose between buying sanitary napkins and prioritizing other essentials.
“More girls can also play sports comfortably. This affordability will lead to greater accessibility; while sanitary napkins were previously not available in general stores in remote areas of Pakistan, this move could ensure that they are accessible across the country,” she said.
This is an extremely welcome step, Omar said, and hopes that it will lead us to review other Pakistani laws so that we can do better to ensure the inclusion of all classes, socio-economic backgrounds and genders.
“It’s time for us to be very, very vigilant”
Bushra Mahnoor, founder of Mahwari Justice, a student-led organization whose name translates to “menstrual justice”, welcomed the government’s proposal but said: PK Press Club.tv it was too early to party.
“I really appreciate this move by the government to propose a reduction in the tax, but I think this is also a very critical time for us and we should not be blinded by the optics of this situation,” she said.
Mahnoor said the measure had only been proposed at this stage and warned that “red tape” could still affect the actual removal of the tax.
“But even when the tax is removed, there are so many things we need to be aware of,” she said, citing the example of the United Kingdom, where she said manufacturers raised their prices subtly after the tax on period products was removed.
“So I think this is a time for us to be very, very vigilant and step up our advocacy efforts and not celebrate right away because there’s still a lot to do,” she said.
Mahnoor said the proposal remained an “incredible initiative” and reflected years of advocacy from activists who had worked both on the ground and online to encourage conversations around menstruation.
However, she emphasized that menstrual injustice in Pakistan was not limited to access to menstrual products.
“Access to menstrual products is only part of this huge problem that we’re trying to solve because there are only a very small number of people who can use these menstrual products,” she said.
She said many people don’t use these products or don’t want to use them, meaning the proposed tax break wouldn’t reach as many people as its advocates would like.
It’s a step forward, but I would say it’s very symbolic.
— Bushra Mahnoor, founder of Mahwari Justice
Mahnoor added that even where safe menstrual products were available, many women still lacked basic facilities such as toilets, clean running water and adequate sanitation.
“There are no toilets, there is no clean running water, women still have to walk miles and miles to access water just to clean themselves,” she said.
She also linked the problem to climate change and water scarcity, saying disaster situations and deteriorating access to water made safe menstruation more difficult.
“So yes, it’s a step forward, but I would say it’s very symbolic,” she said. “This is certainly not the end goal. This is the beginning of our struggle because there is still much to do.”
Mahnoor said she would “really rejoice” when menstrual education is included in the Pakistani school curriculum and no one has to hide their periods because of stigma.
[This] is a step in the right direction to focus on meeting half of the population’s basic hygiene needs.
— AAH Soomro, economic analyst
AAH Soomro, an economic analyst, also welcomed the proposal, calling it “a step in the right direction.”
“It is a step in the right direction to focus on meeting half of the population’s basic hygiene needs,” he said. PK Press Club.tv.
Soomro added that Pakistan also needs to do more to control population growth.
“Menstrual health is not a taxable privilege”
Tax law expert Dr Ikram ul Haq said PK Press Club.tv that the proposal to exempt sanitary napkins and contraceptives from taxation is a welcome and overdue recognition of the fact that these are not luxury products but essential health and hygiene products.
“From a tax policy and human rights perspective, taxing these products represents a disproportionate burden on women and low-income households, creating barriers to menstrual health, reproductive health and family planning,” he noted.
The tax expert emphasized that access to these products is closely linked to the rights to health, dignity, equality and bodily autonomy.
The income foregone will likely be negligible compared to the social benefits of improved public health and reduced gender inequality.
— Tax law expert Dr Ikram ul Haq
“The revenue forgone will likely be negligible compared to the social benefits of better public health and reduced gender inequality. The real challenge, however, is to ensure that tax relief is actually passed on to consumers through lower retail prices rather than being absorbed by supply chain intermediaries.”
He added that while governments can give billions in tax breaks to powerful sectors, removing taxes on sanitary napkins and contraceptives is the least a welfare-oriented state should do.
“Menstruation and reproductive health are biological realities, not taxable privileges. »
Haq added that the measure aligns taxation with constitutional guarantees of dignity and the state’s obligation to promote public health. “This should not be seen as a tax break but as the removal of an unfair burden on essential health products. »
“The value chain must be studied pragmatically”
Dr Razia Safdar, Senior Policy Advisor at the Center for Health Policy and Innovation, said: PK Press Club.tv that the removal of the 18% monthly tax is a very positive step to improve menstrual health, especially for adolescent girls. Pakistan is now among 17 countries where the periodic tax is 0%, she noted.
“This will increase accessibility, access and use of products. Currently, 16% of women use commercially available sanitary napkins, 66% use fabrics and 50% use recycled fabrics. So the impact on menstrual health will not be immediate, but it will be facilitated.”
“Secondly, how the price is set according to the budget and there is a need to increase local production of these products: the entire value chain must be studied pragmatically. I hope that end users will benefit from such initiatives, especially in low-income segments.”
We need to take a closer look at what products are imported, how the market handles flows, and how customs duties will be handled.
— Dr. Razia Safdar, senior policy advisor at the Center for Health Policy and Innovation
“Some start-ups do this to attract investment and seed capital. But someone needs to study large-scale, commercially viable and low-cost business models in the Pakistani market because different types of business models can be simulated under different assumptions.”
Dr Safdar added: “We need to take a closer look at what products are being imported, how the market is handling flows and how customs duties will be handled. »
“There is a need to facilitate local production of products and start-ups doing so to attract investment and seed capital. But someone needs to study large-scale, commercially viable and low-cost business models in the Pakistani market.”
“I hope he can tolerate the traditional post-budget price hike,” she added.
