Goods and Services Tax (GST)
Sindoor Or Sanitary Napkins: What’s More Important For A Woman? Twitter Questions GST Council
Under GST the sanitary pads will be taxed at 12%. Meanwhile, sindoor, bangles, and bindis are tax exempted. Is it a fair deal?
New Delhi: A staggering 88% of girls and women in India don’t have access to sanitary napkins, lack of affordability is one of the major reasons that women in India do not use sanitary products. But instead of making sanitary wear affordable for the masses the new Goods and Services Tax (GST) has levied a whopping 12% tax on sanitary products, earlier they were taxed up to 14.5% depending on states. Meanwhile, sindoor, bangles, and bindis are tax exempted. Is it a fair deal? Ask people on Twitter.
Sanitary Napkins Is Not A Luxury, It Is A Necessity
1. Essential vs luxury debate rages on
why luxury tax is leived on sanitary napkins! Only rich women bleed? Its high time we should knw its an ESSENTIAL not LUXURY. #lahukalagaan pic.twitter.com/PViJdGL5FQ
— Prapti Bhatia (@praptibhatia) June 28, 2017
2. Some got dramatic but a necessity is a necessity
Her struggle is real…
Choosing between an Extra half kg of rice or a packet of sanitary pads.
Will hunger win or hygiene?#LahukaLagaan— TheCommoner'sPlot (@CommonersPlot) June 12, 2017
3. Why are bindis and banfles exempt but not sanitary napkins?
Women use sanitary napkins, but a committee of men levies a 12 % GST on it, bangles and bindis are tax free , can you make sense of this?
— Dr Duru Shah (@shah_duru) May 27, 2017
4. As sarcastic as it gets – iA woman can live without bangles, sindoor and bindi – but, not without a sanitary napkin
GST is not going to help me this time too. Sanitary napkins are not exempted. Might be I should start using Sindoor, bangles and bindis.
— mamatha jahnavi k (@mamathajk) May 25, 2017
5. A woman’s menstrual cycle is not a choice
GST rate list: 12% tax on sanitary napkins and tampons, but no tax on items like bindis and sindoor https://t.co/0aNY9cJtMh pic.twitter.com/SRd55o0Xfa
— Sanitary Panels (@sanitarypanels) May 23, 2017
6. ‘#LahuKaLagaan’ squad: Lahu ka lagaan is a campaign started by SheSays, a not-for-profit organisation to urge the Finance Minister to exempt the tax on sanitary napkins completely
Friends, sanitary napkins should be free under GST, plz tweet to @arunjaitley and make ur voice heard #LahuKaLagaan @SheSaysIndia
— Kanan Gill (@KananGill) April 18, 2017
Also Read: Ahead Of GST Launch, Konkona Sen Sharma Asks Why Tax Sanitary Napkins?
7. Spot on! Hygiene first
12% GST on Sanitary Napkins screams-
Ladki hygiene ka kya karegi? Sindoor laga ke, chudiyaan pehen ke ghar pe hi baithna hai! #LahukaLagaan— Ankita (@socialspaghetti) June 29, 2017
Also Read: GST Can Adversely Affect ‘Bio-Toilet’ Industry If Cost Goes Up, Say Industry Players
GST is being touted as the biggest tax reform since Independence in 1947 which aims to create a common market, preventing ‘tax-on-tax’ and making goods and services cheaper. The GST Council is chaired by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and comprising state counterparts, has placed a multitude of goods and services under five categories of tax under GST – zero per cent, 5 per cent, 12 per cent, 18 per cent and 28 per cent. But should sanitary pads be taxed?
Share your views in the comments section below.
Paromita Roy
June 30, 2017 at 5:08 pm
If buying a shaving cream or a razor which all post puberty men need,is not a luxury, then why a sanitary napkin which all post puberty women need is considered a luxury
Is GST stating it is a man’s world(India)
jessy
July 2, 2017 at 11:34 am
sanitary napkins are a necessity essential and not a luxury product. If condoms, shaving cream, razors are exempt, why pads? If Govnt. can be generous in doling out 100 000 US dollars to the US trust fund and give lip service of “Beti Bachao Beti Padao, why not let women live with dignity without being taxed for being women.
mdharmnath
July 2, 2017 at 6:03 pm
The sanitery napkins makers are down grading to the level of comparing a sanitery the item to the items of a faith value e.g comparing a symbolic dressitem to a cleanesing item just to save taxes .Also it is not necessary that those sanitery napkins will increse the immunity or energy of an women during menstrual period a natural process
mdharmnath
July 2, 2017 at 6:20 pm
what a shameless comparing,The bindi is put on head and never thrown,while sanitary napkins are used and thrown immediately after use.Any one who started this discussion is to attack a way of living and culture just for bringing down GST on napkins is unforgettable .There may have been another way to project sale of sanitary napkins to masses and since it is a hygienic product it needs to be clubbed there and not like other essentials with no tax at all