Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has called for the removal of all taxes on menstrual hygiene products, marking World Menstrual Hygiene Day on May 28 with a statement framing period poverty as a “multi-sectoral national crisis.”
Premadasa argued that menstrual products should be treated as essential health items and taxed at a zero rate rather than as luxury goods. He said the issue cuts across public health, education, the labour market and macroeconomic stability, and urged the country to “break free from outdated, regressive cultural taboos.”
Citing national figures, he said that of Sri Lanka’s 4.2 million menstruating individuals, roughly 70 percent — nearly three million people — lack reliable access to disposable hygiene products. He added that only 12.6 percent of women who experience severe menstrual issues ever seek clinical care, attributing the gap to stigma and cost.
The Opposition Leader said period poverty also drives educational disadvantage, with between 50 and 60 percent of adolescent girls missing school during their cycles amid poor water, sanitation and hygiene facilities. He linked the problem to female labour force participation, which stands at around 35 percent against more than 45 percent in many developed economies, and called for the introduction of period leave in workplaces.
The proposal extends Premadasa’s broader push on consumer taxation, following his earlier criticism of VAT amendments he described as excessive extraction and his calls for a wider household utility relief package.
Source: Island.
