Many institutions have over the years expressed concerns over punishing menstruation through the imposition of taxes on sanitary pads.
They contend that, as women and girls, they did not choose their gender and therefore it is unacceptable for gov’t to tax the course of nature on women.
Finance minister, Ken Ofori Atta in presenting the 2024 budget statement intimated that government has decided to categorize VAT on locally produced sanitary pads into the zero rate zone
The World Bank (2022) estimated 500 million women and girls globally lack access to proper facilities for managing their menstrual health, posing health problems, such as reproductive and urinary tract infections which can subsequently result in future infertility and birth complications.
According to UNESCO (2014), 10% of girls in sub-Saharan Africa are unable to attend school during their menstrual cycle.
In an academic year – which is a nine (9) month period, an adolescent girl loses 39 learning days, equivalent to six weeks of learning time, due to a lack of sanitary pads
The Project Coordinator of the Greater Accra Municipal Area (GAMA) Sanitation and Water Project, Engineer George Asiedu is advocating a more investment in menstrual health and hygiene to care for young girls and ensure they stay in school.
He has however, advocated for a waiver of taxes on all sanitary products to reduce the cost of the usage of public toilet facility and the construction domestic toilet facility in the poor communities.
He said, in as much as open defecation has considerably been reduce through the work of GAMA in the Greater Accra region, a portion of the people especially in the peri- urban areas and the poor communities still practice open defecation with the attendant health and environmental challenges.
Speaking in an interview with Ahotor 92.3 fm midday news, Ing Asiedu was appreciative of the waiver of taxes on locally manufactured sanitary pads, and added that, more needs to done in the area of general sanitation products which includes toilet seats, plumbing wares among others.
Adding that, a general tax waive would be beneficial to environmental sanitation and promote general hygiene.
Godfred Sey/ Ahotoronline.com
