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F<\/span>or a 25-year-old, seeing her name written on official papers at Lahore\u2019s high court was daunting. But the case of Mahnoor Omer v Federation of Pakistan has now had its first hearing and Omer, a young lawyer from Rawalpindi taking on her government, has moved from relative obscurity to becoming a headline-making activist.<\/p>\n Omer is challenging the country\u2019s \u201cperiod tax\u201d, which sees only a small proportion of women in Pakistan able to buy sanitary pads thanks to high taxes and duties which, according to Unicef, can add up to 40% to the retail price. One study found that only 16.2% of women in rural areas used pads due to the cost.<\/p>\n The Pakistan government exempts \u201cessential goods\u201d from tax \u2013 currently the list includes items such as cattle semen, milk and cheese. So why, asked Omer, are the sanitary pads that are needed monthly by many of the country\u2019s 109 million women classed as non-essential and taxed as luxury goods alongside perfumes and cosmetics?<\/p>\n For too long, this topic has been taboo and stigmatised, ignored to the point of nonexistenceMahnoor Omer<\/p>\n \u201cIt is disheartening that despite women serving as ministers, lawmakers and public representatives, gender-blind policies continue to pass without question,\u201d Omer says. \u201cWhether it\u2019s an omission or a deliberate act, such laws must be amended.\u201d<\/p>\n Cumulatively, a woman will spend about six to seven years of her life menstruating. For schoolgirls and poorer women in particular, it can be excruciatingly difficult to manage their periods appropriately, something that the World Health Organization (WHO) and Unicef have detailed as a health right.<\/p>\n Backing Omer\u2019s legal effort is Mahwari Justice, a youth-led organisation that provides health education and distributes menstrual products in poorer communities.<\/p>\n Founded in the aftermath of catastrophic floods in 2022, when friends Anum Khalid and Bushra Mahnoor saw how women had to use unsafe substitutes for menstrual hygiene, they have launched a petition to support Omer\u2019s legal action.<\/p>\n \u201cSince many cases like this often go unnoticed, our goal is to mobilise people to sign the petition and build public pressure for change,\u201d Mahnoor says. The petition has received more than 4,700 signatures so far.<\/p>\n <\/span>Taxes on sanitary pads in Pakistan can add up to 40% to the retail price, according to Unicef.<\/span> Photograph: Butterfly<\/p>\n It was when devastating floods swept through Tehsil Jhuddo in Pakistan\u2019s Sindh province in July 2022, washing away her family home, that 12-year-old Azeema started her first period.<\/p>\n \u201cI kept washing myself all the time, but it wouldn\u2019t stop,\u201d says Azeema, now 15. Her mother tore up a piece of fabric for her to use \u2013 a solution that left her with rashes, fever and lasting trauma.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd we still reuse these cloths. Period products are too expensive,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/p>\n Hear directly from incredible women from around the world on the issues that matter most to them \u2013 from the climate crisis to the arts to sport<\/p>\n Privacy Notice: <\/strong>Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on theguardian.com to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.<\/span><\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n Ahsan Jehangir Khan, a fellow lawyer and friend of Omer\u2019s who made the preliminary arguments in the case at court, says the high cost of menstrual products \u201caggravates the economic and social disadvantages already faced by women, amounting to indirect gender discrimination\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIf women are being taxed for a biological function, that means they are being robbed of their dignity,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n And consequences are profound in Pakistan, where one in five girls misses school during menstruation, amounting to an entire academic year lost, according to Mahawri Justice. A study on menstrual health showed that eight out of 10 girls felt embarrassed to discuss periods, and almost half had never been told about menstruation before it began.<\/p>\n Additionally, the use of rags and other alternatives as sanitary pads doubles the risk of infections and long-term reproductive health complications, Mahawri Justice says.<\/p>\n The Pakistan government is yet to respond in the case, but Omer hopes a favourable ruling will not only make pads more affordable but also shift how Pakistani society perceives menstruation.<\/p>\n \u201cFor too long, this topic has been taboo and stigmatised, ignored to the point of nonexistence,\u201d she says. \u201cThe problem isn\u2019t the periods themselves, but rather the silence about them.\u201d<\/p>\n This piece was published in collaboration with Egab.<\/em><\/p>\n