What in the World The campaign to scrap period tax in Pakistan
Apr 3, 2026
Mahnoor Omer, a 25-year-old Pakistani lawyer and activist leading a legal fight to remove sales tax on menstrual products. She describes stigma around periods in Pakistan. Listeners share how taxes and shame make pads unaffordable. Mahnoor explains the legal challenge, tax mechanics that inflate prices, and why repeal could boost dignity, school attendance and public debate.
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Tax Adds Up To 40 Percent On Pads
- UNICEF estimates a 40% tax can be added to sanitary pad retail prices in Pakistan.
- This layered taxation regime creates a significant affordability barrier, especially in impoverished communities.
Classroom Humiliation Over First Periods
- Mahnoor Omer described the acute shame and confusion around first periods at school in Pakistan.
- She recalled a classmate whose white kameez was stained and teachers and boys reacted with panic and silence, leaving the girl humiliated.
Young Women Describe Health Impact Of Tax
- Young Pakistani women recorded messages describing how the tax makes sanitary products unaffordable and harms health.
- Asma Asif and Mariam Bakar said pads are necessities, and lack of access leads to unsafe alternatives and infections.