India scraps sanitary pad tax in boost for female education
Campaigners welcome decision, as girls are often forced to skip school due to stigma and a lack of access to clean hygiene products
India scrapped a controversial tax on sanitary pads on Saturday, a move hailed by campaigners who say it will help more girls to go to school during their periods and boost their job prospects.
Activists say removing the tax on pads tackles one of the biggest barriers to education for girls, who are often forced to stay at home due to a lack of access to clean hygiene products, while also facing stigma and a lack of toilets in schools.
Periods are among the leading factors for girls to drop out of school in a country where four out of five women and girls are estimated by campaigners to have no access to sanitary pads.
“I am sure all mothers and sisters will be very happy to hear that sanitary pads are now 100 per cent exempt from tax,” interim finance minister Piyush Goyal told reporters in New Delhi.
Sanitary pads were taxed at 12 per cent under India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) that was launched in July 2017.