Menstrual health and sanitary towels have been taboo subjects for hundreds of years in China. However, things are starting to change as women begin to feel more comfortable talking about this subject in public.

In recent months campaign groups have been springing up to rally opposition against high levels of tax on period-related products, such as tampons and sanitary towels, using social media.

Grassroots organisations, such as Period Pride, use public accounts on WeChat (a popular instant messaging app) to rally public support against high prices for goods that are traditionally sold to women.

Another sign of an uptick in campaigning was that the hashtag #PinkTax went viral on social media in the winter of 2023, making the case that items that were pink and aimed at women tended to cost more than products aimed at men. This issue will be bubbling up again on International Women’s Day (IWD), which has recently become a busy shopping day in China.

Period Pride has compared China with nearly 20 countries which have scrapped or reduced tampon taxes. It has highlighted the discrepancy in taxing tampons compared to other products on sale in China, such as tax-exempt contraceptive methods like condoms and birth control medication. A few years ago this kind of public discussion about periods and menstruation would not have happened.

One of the most significant issues is the price of sanitary towels. In China, the VAT rate for sanitary napkins is 13%, the highest level of........

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