With the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on sanitary napkins being fixed at 12%, the women residents of Guwahati are unhappy with the new tax regime. A majority of them feel that such high tax on an essential commodity is unfair for women.
Kajal Jain, a resident of Chandmari said, “The government is treating sanitary napkins like a luxury item whereas it is a necessity for every woman. What is even more ridiculous is that things like bindi and sindoor have been declared tax-free under the GST.” She added that women do not voluntarily decide to use sanitary napkins and it is a natural process which affects all women.
Another resident, Nirmali Sarma, said that many girls and women are not able to afford proper hygiene products and the additional high tax imposed on them will further make sanitary napkins unaffordable for many. “Access to proper hygiene practises is the right of every woman. On the one hand the government distributes free sanitary napkins to school girls and on the other, they are imposing exorbitant taxes on them,” she said.
