India has scrapped a 12 per cent tax on sanitary products, in a move which has been hailed by campaigners.
Delhi deputy chief minister Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said on Saturday the product would be exempt from the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Activists said removing the tax tackles one of the biggest barriers to education for girls, who are often forced to stay at home due to a lack of access to clean hygiene products, while also facing stigma.
Four out of five women and girls in the country are estimated by campaigners to have no access to sanitary pads.
The announcement comes a year after the government first introduced GST.
At the time, it sparked outrage among campaigners and led to the hashtag #donttaxmyperiod.
The decision triggered protests, petitions and court cases that questioned why the government taxed the sanitary products as a luxury rather than an essential item.
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