Women are unfairly taxed.
Women’s rights activist Mahnoor Omer has filed a petition urging the Lahore High Court to declare feminine sanitary products essential goods.
She requested that these items be given tax-exempt status, arguing that existing taxes unfairly burden women for a biological function.
The petition named the Federation of Pakistan, the Ministry of Finance, and the Federal Board of Revenue as key respondents in the case.
The National Commission on the Status of Women and the National Commission for Human Rights were listed as proforma respondents as well.
According to Omer’s petition, taxes on sanitary products and their raw materials add nearly forty percent to consumer costs.
Citing a UNICEF policy brief, she highlighted how menstrual hygiene is wrongly treated as a luxury item rather than a necessity in Pakistan.
The petition called this taxation inherently discriminatory, alleging it violates constitutional protections regarding dignity, equality, and security of the person in Pakistan.
It specifically referred to Articles 9, 14, 25, and 38 of the Constitution, underscoring social and economic well-being concerns.
Statistics presented in court revealed women make up almost half of Pakistan’s population, with sixty-two million experiencing menstruation regularly.
Of these women, only twelve percent use commercially available sanitary products, according to UNICEF estimates cited within the petition documents.
The filing warned of widespread period poverty, linking it to missed school attendance, lower workforce participation, and recurring urinary tract infections.
Omer urged the court to classify sanitary products as essential and exempt them from taxation under the Eighth Schedule immediately.
If not possible, she requested their inclusion in the Sixth Schedule, which would significantly reduce the applicable tax rates. The petition pointed to international precedents.
Similar reforms have already been successful in the United Kingdom, India, Australia, and Bangladesh.
Advocate Ahsan Jehangir Khan, representing Omer, criticised policymakers for exempting goods like cheese while taxing women’s basic health products.
He argued women are unfairly taxed for a natural process, blaming male-dominated institutions for developing discriminatory tax policies nationwide.
On September 15, 2025, the Lahore High Court issued notices to the named respondents, requiring them to respond within the next fortnight.
A separate notice will also be issued to the Attorney General of Pakistan, requiring his official comments regarding the case.
If accepted, the petition could represent a historic step toward tackling period poverty and promoting gender equality in Pakistan.
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