KARACHI: A Pakistani green-tech startup is installing sanitary product vending machines in schools, workplaces and public spaces to make menstrual products more accessible to women and girls.
Davaam, a Karachi-based startup, has deployed more than 150 machines across eight cities in Pakistan, including corporate offices, malls, sports facilities, schools, and colleges, according to the company.
The initiative comes as Pakistan moves to reduce the cost of menstrual products. The federal government, through the Finance Act 2026, abolished sales tax on female sanitary pads and tampons, following a proposal in the federal budget 2026-27.
Presenting the budget earlier this year, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb described sanitary towels and related products as daily necessities “indispensable to women’s health, dignity, and full participation in social activities.”
“Therefore, it is proposed to abolish the tax on sanitary towels and related items,” he said.
The Federal Board of Revenue’s budget documents subsequently listed female sanitary pads and tampons among products exempted from sales tax.
Davaam is seeking to address what its chief executive, Salman Tariq, describes as an everyday access problem through automated dispensers.
“It’s a taboo topic. It causes discomfort and affects their dignity,” Tariq told Pakistan TV Digital.
“That’s when we thought a machine should be created to install inside female restrooms, dispensing single napkins right when needed in an emergency,” he said.
Davaam began as a circular economy and clean-tech startup focused on reducing single-use plastic waste through automated refill stations before expanding into menstrual product access.
The company says its machines have now been installed across eight cities, with locations including corporate offices, malls, sports facilities, schools and colleges.
Tariq said his “ultimate wishlist” is for sanitary pad dispensers to become a mandatory requirement in public facilities, much like a fire extinguisher.
The initiative also connects with a wider conversation around period poverty in Pakistan.
In a recent Pakistan TV Digital’s podcast, Chatroom with Shizza, lawyer and women’s rights activist Mahnoor Omer said period poverty should not be understood only as an inability to afford menstrual products.
“The word period poverty doesn’t just mean that you’re poor and you can’t afford a product. It is a system of illiteracy. It’s a system of unawareness where you don’t know how to take care of yourself,” Omer said.
Omer, who challenged menstrual product taxation in court, has argued that menstrual health is linked to dignity, equality, access and participation in society.
She has also stressed that removing taxes is only one part of addressing period poverty.
For women in underserved communities, affordability remains a concern even as the government has moved to remove sales tax.
At Behbud Association’s facility in Shireen Jinnah Colony, subsidized menstrual products are made available for Rs20 per pad, while awareness and health sessions are also conducted.
“Access to basic hygiene is crucial. A lack of hygiene leads to serious health issues and diseases, especially in underprivileged communities,” said Dr. Shazia Azher, Health Coordinator at Behbud Association.
Davaam says its machines are designed to provide products at the point of need, while its hardware and software are developed in Karachi and supported by a field maintenance team.
With more than 150 machines already deployed, the startup says it aims to expand the network further, making menstrual products more readily available in places where women and girls may need them unexpectedly.