Overview

Sanitary Napkins are important and essential item for women during menstruation. There is a need of these napkins monthly but recently the country’s government has banned on import of raw material used for manufacture of them, terming them as luxury item. The ban is not good choice as it is affecting almost half of the population of Pakistan.

Santex and P&G are two of the most prominent players in Pakistan’s sanitary napkin market, but the import ban has taken a heavy toll on Santex. Profit estimates that the combined market share of these two brands for sanitary napkins in Pakistan is 84%.

A bleak predicament

Muhammad Kamran, Chief Operating Officer of Santex – the business that supplies Butterfly pads — told Images how the company has been effected by the decision. “Though all of our products are made in Pakistan, two of the fundamental raw components that form the base of the napkin are imported. The ban would mean the factory would have to shut down someday because we can’t manufacture them anymore after the existing supply runs out,” he said.

As he explained, the raw materials in question are cellulose fibres in the form of sap paper and wadding. According to the Ministry of Commerce, these products are prohibited under the new import ban on HS Code 4803.000. “Female sanitary napkins are made from a variety of raw materials, the most basic of which are these. However, they are included in S.No. 63 of the SRO, which means that they are neither tissues nor luxury goods “she said.

Objection as Luxury Item

Objecting to their classification as “luxury” items, Kamran argued that raw materials and semi-finished products should not be included in the list of finished products, according to latest news update.

According to him, he and Unicef and Sindh’s government have had discussions about how to deal with the situation. They recommended that Santex enlist the help of four to five major industry players who would be adversely affected by the prohibition, and then submit an application to the appropriate authorities. “We’ve submitted an application to the Ministry of Commerce, and we expect it to be reviewed within 15 to 20 days. We’re crossing our fingers that you’ll say yes “he commented.

P&G Pakistan has been contacted by Images for comment, but no response has been received. If P&G’s answer to the import ban and whether or not it will hinder their manufacturing is known, it will help us understand how women in Pakistan would be affected. In Pakistan, just a small number of the Always items sold in grocery shops are made there, and the same is true of the pad variety that is available there.

Local Alternatives to be used during Menstruation

• Menstrual cups
• Cloth Pads
• Penties for periods

Menstrual cups

In addition to tampons, menstrual cups are another reusable option for collecting menstrual blood. Menstrual cups are inserted in the vagina in the same manner as tampons. They have a larger capacity and only need to be emptied twice a day rather than more frequently. If it is taken care of properly, one cup can serve a person anywhere from six months to ten years. This makes it an extremely cost-effective choice that also has the additional advantage of being kind to the environment, according to latest news update.

Menstrual cups can be purchased at Recircle, a local vendor. The response that we received when we questioned them about whether or not the prohibition has led customers to choose this alternative astonished us. Wasma Imran, who helped create the company along with her husband, claimed that to tell the truth, the company has not had an unusually high volume of sales.

People shy away from menstruation cups despite the fact that they appear to be an excellent financial investment from a purely theoretical standpoint. We inquired of Imran how they deal with people who are hesitant to make the change and what they say to such people to make the transition less difficult, according to latest news update.

“Guides on the procedure are available on our website, and we often run a series on social media that addresses the most frequently asked questions and concerns. If I were a woman, I don’t think I’d be afraid to put a tampon or a cup inside of me if I knew more about the anatomy of women in general and the female body in particular.

Towelling pads

The primary difference between cloth pads and disposable pads is that cloth pads have to be washed and reused, but disposable pads are thrown away after each usage. It is obvious that this would prevent a significant amount of waste, so conserving water and money, as well as lowering consumption of plastic and electricity. The fact that reusable pads contain less pollutants makes them an attractive alternative to consider using.

Additionally, they are comparable to what women in Pakistan used in the days before disposable pads became widely available in the 1980s.

A local company known as The Red Code makes the claim that it can locate “female hygiene products that are culturally responsible, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly.” They come in a variety of sizes and also offer pads that are tailored specifically for use during the night, according to latest news update.

Period panties

It shouldn’t be necessary to explain what period panties are; simply put, these are underwear that women can wear during their periods without the addition of any extra substance. They are comfy, have a higher absorption rate than pads, and are environmentally friendly.

People who have a heavy flow may not find them to be the most suited alternative, which is a drawback of these products. In addition, their efficacy decreases over time, and the more you wash them, the more quickly they lose the antibacterial characteristics that were manufactured into them.

The local internet store known as Losha provides customers with a number of different options from which to select.