India to receive a luxury towel on the sanitary napkin

In May 26, 2017, it was reported that Indians were protesting against the government's plan to levy 12-14% luxury tax on sanitary napkins, an indispensable sanitary product for women. The tax rate is part of a massive tax reform plan announced by the India government a few weeks ago. According to this plan, India is expected to start implementing the goods and services tax (GST) nationwide in July, ending the current chaos of the coexistence of federal tax (central) and state tax (local). Some of the necessities of life will not be taxed, including condoms and contraceptives. The opponents question why ladies sanitary napkins can not be excluded as well. Sushmita Dev, a India congresswoman, launched a petition demanding duty-free for women's hygiene products and has signed more than 300 thousand people. The price of female sanitary napkins in India varies from 5 rupees to 12 rupees per package, with different tax rates in different states and 14.5% in some states. For many poor women in India's rural areas, the necessities of life are really "luxury", and many people are unable to buy it. A 2011 survey showed that only 12% of the 355 million women in India used sanitary napkins. However, the high cost of women's hygiene products has become a global problem. In the world, only a few countries such as Ireland, Kenya and Canada have duty-free for women's hygiene products. In the United States, 40 states levy taxes on women's hygiene products, and only 10 states are duty-free. In July, New York just signed a tax exemption bill for women's hygiene products.