Anywhere between the ages of 8 and 15, a girl begins menstruating. She has no choice in the matter, no say. It’s a natural biological process, that’s celebrated worldwide as a symbol of fertility and a sign that furthers the lifespan of the human race.
And when she is menstruating, a woman needs to maintain basic standards of hygiene, those that are convenient and allow her to go about her daily tasks and duties without issue. Pretty basic need, right? Not really.
In India, a woman needs to pay a price for something she doesn’t even choose. Because sanitary pads are taxed in India, anywhere between 12% – 14% depending on which state she is living in. Essentially then, a woman is not only bleeding out of her vagina for 12 months a year but also paying the government extra for it.
And that’s exactly what the video tells us. When we aren’t taxed for medicines, condoms and water, which aren’t choices, why sanitary napkins? The government must take back this regressive, sexist policy of taxing women for something they have no control over!