Kathmandu. The Supreme Court has issued a mandamus in the name of the government to provide sanitary pads free of cost in the case of women’s health.
Hearing a writ petition filed by The Women’s Forum for Women Nepal (BFOVAN), petitioners Shreena Nepal and Abhyudaya Bhetwal, the Supreme Court issued the order on June 29, 2018, asking the government to provide free sanitary pads to all women and provide tax exemption.
Four years ago, Executive Director gomawati Pun (Srijana), programme officer Pooja Chaudhary and advisor advocate Dal Bahadur Dhami had filed a petition in the Supreme Court for free pads.
Nepal and Bhetwal had demanded a mandamus in the name of the government to remove the tax, claiming that the imposition of tax on sanitary pads was violative of the Constitution of Nepal 2072, Article 16, Article 18 and Article 38.
A joint bench of Justices Manoj Kumar Sharma and Mahesh Sharma Poudel passed the order after hearing both the writ petitions.
Sanitary pads are used to make it easier for women to keep their routine regular by absorbing blood from bleeding during menstruation. Sanitary pads are made using paper and cotton. Since sanitary pads are expensive, women in rural areas use old clothes as sanitary pads.
In some community schools, local governments and NGOs have made arrangements to distribute free sanitary pads for girls, but not all schools are available.
