Goods and services Tax has happened and if not effected totally is causing a stir now that people are becoming acquainted with the details. Indian women are not happy, now that new details have emerged and social media is abuzz with the inexplicable truths emerging. A campaign currently going viral through messaging apps if the news goes right is that the Sanitary Napkins are going to see a tax of 12% on them. That’s not all. A comparative study reveals that kum-kum and bangles are tax-free and the major irritant here is that, condoms go tax free too.
What a soup?? It is within reason perhaps for condoms to go tax free but why a 12% tax on sanitary napkins. The message has reached women loud and clear about priorities. Women are thus raising their voice against the injustice. A campaign on social media is fighting it out about Modi-sarkar being gender biased in a gross way.
‘Sex is a choice but periods are not. When condom is tax free why can’t napkins be?’ – Women raise voice.
The battle is not going down well with women pointing it out that the charge on napkins is akin to a luxury tax.
‘Is it only rich women who bleed?’ – Asked by a campaigner.
Rightly asked in a country like India where about 80% of the women still cannot afford menstrual hygiene. A subsidy to make sanitary napkins more affordable would be a step forward. Why then is the situation being aggravated?
Questions are yet to be answered and the campaign ‘Don’t Tax My Period’ is garnering supporters. Good and Simple tax was the claim of GST but situation currently proves otherwise. Menstrual Hygiene is a taboo topic and as such dreadfully neglected. Lot of NGOs and women’s action groups are trying to remedy the situation but it is still a far away goal. A men’s only outlook of the GST is emerging and women in urban circles are not going to take it quietly.
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