For the fourth year in a row, the Center for Information, Criticism and Action - QIKA, has held a symbolic action in front of the Government of Kosovo, demanding the removal of the Value Added Tax (VAT) for menstrual products.

About 7,500 signatures collected for the petition "Pads are not a luxury" have been submitted to the Minister of Finance, Labor and Transfers, Hekuran Murati.

The organizer of the QIKA Center, Medina Dauti, said that the purpose of this action is to remind Minister Murati that menstrual products are not a matter of luxury and as such should be VAT free.

She emphasized that his lack of reaction regarding this problem shows his indifference, for which she says that supporting the tax for these products is "sexist and affects their lack of access".

Among other things, Dauti said that access to menstrual products is a basic right and should not be conditioned by an 18 percent tax, putting it under "luxury products".

According to a study by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, since Kenya became the first country to abolish VAT on menstrual products in 2004, at least 17 countries have followed suit.

In Europe, about 20 countries have reduced the VAT for hygiene products, and Italy is among the last countries to do so during the past year.