Menstrual Hygiene
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Will Receive 1,000 Sanitary Napkins With Menstrual Hygiene Messages, Here’s Why
A group of students in Gwalior are encouraging women to write menstrual hygiene messages on sanitary napkins and once 1,000 such napkins are collected it will be sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to do away with Goods and Services Tax imposed on sanitary pads
New Delhi: “On one hand, majority of the women are still unaware about sanitary pads and its usage, while on the other hand, the government has labelled pads as a ‘luxury item’. Can a middle class woman afford a sanitary napkin with 12 per cent Goods and Services Tax on it? All we want is the government to make a basic item like sanitary pad GST-free and provide it for free to the economically backward women,” reads one of the innumerous messages written on a sanitary pad.
Also Read: GST: ‘Sanitary Napkins A Necessity, Not Luxury,’ Industry Experts Seek Rate Cut
A group of students along with activists have launched a campaign to eliminate GST on sanitary napkins. As part of their initiative, women from different strata of the society are being encouraged to express their views on menstrual hygiene by writing them onto the sanitary napkins. The aim is to collect 1,000 such napkins and send to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The message will be a form of an appeal to stash the GST rate.
When ‘One Tax, One Nation’ regime was rolled out in the form of GST, people across India had questioned the 12 per cent rate for sanitary napkins either by staging a dharna, filing pleas or sitting on hunger strikes. Though the new tax rate is lower than the previous indirect tax regime which attracted an average 13.7 per cent rate, the demand presently is to get rid of this tax altogether.
Nearly six months have passed but the protests don’t seem to die with students from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh being the fresh voices to start a protest.
#MadhyaPradesh: A group of social workers in Gwalior start a campaign encouraging women to write down their views on menstrual hygiene on sanitary napkins to mark their protest against it being placed under 12% GST. pic.twitter.com/1SKIFiuErP
— ANI (@ANI) January 9, 2018
Also Read: Bhopal Becomes The First Railway Station In India To Install Sanitary Napkin Vending Machine
Giving context about the campaign and why sanitary pads must be free to ANI, Hari Mohan one of the activists said,
“Sanitary napkins have been placed under 12% GST. Women use things during their menstrual days which is fatal to them. Instead of giving subsidy, it has been placed under luxury item. So we started this campaign. We aim to send 1000 pads to the govt by 3rd March.”
Sanitary napkins have been placed under 12% GST. Women use things during their menstrual days which is fatal to them. Instead of giving subsidy, it has been placed under luxury item. So we started this campaign. We aim to send 1000 pads to the govt by 3rd March: Hari Mohan pic.twitter.com/Fo0hI3NQV5
— ANI (@ANI) January 9, 2018
Preeti Joshi, another activist highlighted how women in remote parts of country put their health in jeopardy only because they cannot afford sanitary napkins every month.
“We started campaign on 4th January. Women in rural areas can’t spend Rs 100 on sanitary napkins. This situation discourages them from using sanitary napkins all the more. They end up falling prey to diseases. Free napkin, at least GST free napkins, must reach women.”
We started campaign on 4th January. Women in rural areas can't spend Rs 100 on sanitary napkins. This situation discourages them from using sanitary napkins all the more. They end up falling prey to diseases. Free napkin, at least GST free napkins, must reach women: Preeti Joshi pic.twitter.com/cQoaWm2hD4
— ANI (@ANI) January 9, 2018
The students believe that it is not only the need of women belonging to Gwalior, but the entire nation is in need of this move and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in a position to reduce the cost by removing the GST from it or making it available for free.
Anonymous
January 11, 2018 at 2:35 pm
WOMEN WHO SPEND FAR MORE ON CONDOMS AND CONTRACEPTORY PILLS AND MAKEUP AND LUXURY GOODS … CANT AFFORD TO PAY FEW RUPEES TAX … INSTEAD CHOOSE TO INSULT PM OF THE LARGEST DEMOCRACY FOR PETTY SELFISHNESS … WHAT A JOKE …WHAT NEXT DISTRIBUTE THEM FOR FREE??? …
WOMEN IN GENUINE NEED ARE GETTING NAPKINS FOR FREE TO VERY LOW COST … OTHERS SHOULD PAY …
Anonymous
January 11, 2018 at 8:39 pm
In addition, as Arun Jaitley has explained, with input taxes the effective tax on napkins becomeds only 3-4%. If the govt takes off 12% altogether then it will benefit Chinese manufacturers via IGST which will have adverse effects on Indian manufacturers, very likely putting them out of business. So stop insulting people when you have no knowledge about the economics.
Abcdefg@gmail.com
January 12, 2018 at 3:27 am
Hey, why not increase GST on Make up and luxury goods and reduce or eliminate it on sanitary napkins? Do you understand difference between a necessity and a luxury you idiot? In a civilized country, even a rich woman should be able to buy a sanitary napkin without GST. But a poor woman must never be made to pay high GST for a necessity. Understood?
feminist
January 14, 2018 at 5:34 pm
There is a big difference between a neccesity and something which is not that important .. Are you an idiot who is not aware of this difference?
Women bleed every month ok ?and not everyone I’d fortunate enough to be graced with money. So imposing taxes on sanitary napkins is doing more bad than good .. And if you can’t. Help someone in their initiatives then please don’t talk bullshit ! Better ask your mom to stop using makeup cause that has really influenced your egoistic male chauvinist timid and useless brain !
Raja
January 11, 2018 at 9:44 pm
From Aadhar to sanitry napkins the congress and their allies are using every dirty trick to discredit what ever the NDA does.This is no spontaneous movement. This carefully planned and fully financed by the Congress and their henchmen!! What next? Will they ship toilet rolls or septic tanks?
Deepa
January 21, 2018 at 3:32 pm
Actually, you girls should do your home work properly-check out reusable options http://www.hygiebeandyou.com . There are comfortable,convenient menstrual cups, cloth pads and period panties. Ditch Da sanitary pad!!