Sapna K Sangra
I grab my laptop after a gap of nearly two months and I get such an encouraging grin from my son, perhaps he has already sensed I am set out writing something. What a juggling it has been in the last few days! The idea of sacrificing and devotion is ingrained so strongly like in any other Indian women that everything else becomes a priority than the ‘self’ which often takes a backseat in the list of chores to be accomplished in a day.
It’s hard to even understand as to what extent women in India compromise in their everyday lives. The struggle that they wage and the sacrifices they make become so much a part of their lives that after a point everything appears to be just normal. So also is the issue with women’s health and more so with the women from the low economic backgrounds. The issue primarily has two important dimensions; one having the understanding of the health issues itself and two, the availability of resources. I think most of the women in the rural or urban spheres at this point in time understand the need for a balanced diet, immunization, institutional deliveries, their menstrual hygiene etc. But in spite of this categorical understanding, they are forced to risk their lives owing to the lack of resources at their disposal.
To think of women from low economic backgrounds to prioritise spending on the sanitary pads to manage their monthly cycle would be an exaggeration and that’s perhaps the reason as to why menstrual health and hygiene are huge gender and public health issues in India. More than half of India’s women between 15 and 24 years of age lack access to hygienic protection measures during menstruation as per the National Family Health Survey 2015-16. Most rural girls and women use home grown, often unhygienic, means to manage their menstruation, including rags, sand and leaves. There are lots of girls of school going age who quit school after they get their period. When girls do not go to schools, they miss the chance of bringing a positive change in their lives and continue to a part of same rhetoric. It becomes a vicious circle. Also, lack of menstrual hygiene increases the risk of reproductive and urinary tract infection which can lead to fertility issues and skin problems. Hence, there was a great need to bring the sanitary napkins within the buying capacity of women belonging to any section of the society. It’s vital for empowering them, enhancing their productivity and giving them the lives with dignity.
Centre’s decision to exempt sanitary napkins from Goods and Services Tax (GST), therefore, comes as a big relief. It’s indeed a big win for the organisations protesting for the same. Sanitary pads were placed in the 12% tax slab when the GST was implemented on July 1, 2017 though several other products such as Bindis, Sindur, Kajal, Bangles etc were declared tax-free. This move came under severe criticism by several activists and non-governmental organisations. This was primarily due to the fact that only 12% of women in India could afford sanitary napkins. The Ministry of Finance, however, said that the tax on sanitary napkins was lower than before as the napkins were taxed 13.68% before the GST was implemented because of concessional excise duty and value-added tax. Meanwhile, Zarmina Israr Khan, a PhD scholar in African studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University challenged the levying of 12 percent GST on sanitary napkins, terming it illegal and unconstitutional through Advocate Amit George. Lawmaker Sushmita Dev also launched a petition to demand a reduction or total removal of taxes on pads that gained more than 400,000 signatures.
After one year of severe opposition and criticism, government finally scrapped the said tax in its 28th GST Council Meeting. The decision has been hailed by one and all, more specifically by the campaigners. The menstrual hygiene may, however, start with sanitary pads, but doesn’t end with it. Access to proper toilets equipped with soap and water is equally important. Facilities for the safe disposal of used sanitary pads are essential too. There is also a dire need to place closed dustbins in girls’ toilets for disposal of used sanitary pads so it’s not flushed down the toilets, which leads to further problems. However, with this big win, we have taken a great leap forward and let’s not under estimate the power of launching meaningful campaigns to bring in the desired positive changes in our society.
(The writer teaches Sociology at the University of Jammu and is the State Chairperson of SPIC MACAY. )
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