&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "What is ‘period tax’ or ‘pink tax'? Pakistan scraps in major relief for Women")
Pakistan's government has scrapped the ‘period tax’ or ‘pink tax’ on women’s hygiene products. The government also made contraceptives tax-free to curb the financial burden on women in the country. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announced the move as the aim to provide relief to the masses, according to Arab News.
What is ‘period tax’ or ‘pink tax’?
The ‘period tax’ or ‘pink tax’ in Pakistan refers to the government's role of imposing a tax on women’s hygiene products, including sanitary napkins, tampons, and similar items. For years, these products were subject to 18 per cent sales tax, a policy that critics argued placed an unfair financial burden on women. It also highlights the financial burden placed on biological functions when governments classify these goods as luxury or non-essential items.
UNICEF confirmed that the tax has increased the retail price of the pads by up to 40 per cent. The development has made it inaccessible for several women and girls, especially those belonging to rural and impoverished sectors of society. Even Women’s rights activists and several organisations in Pakistan have continuously demanded the abolition of this “period tax”.
“Regarding women, it was a massive demand in this country to end the pink tax,” Arab News quoted Tarar as saying at the National Assembly session on Sunday. “Today, the tax on their hygiene products has been reduced to 0 per cent from 18 per cent.”
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The information minister also highlighted rapid population growth as a major challenge facing the country, while informing parliament that the government had removed taxes on contraceptives in the upcoming fiscal year's budget. Describing it as a “relief budget,” Tarar said the financial plan was designed to support the country's transition into a period of economic growth and prosperity.
The decision was welcomed by Mahwari Justice, an organisation advocating for menstrual health equity and reproductive rights in Pakistan. Women's rights activist Mahnoor Omer, who was named among TIME magazine's Women of the Year 2026, also praised the government's move. Following the announcement, Pakistan joins India, which scrapped its period tax in July 2018.
