In commemoration of the International Women’s Day (IWD), the Personal, Educational and Career Development (PEC) Institute has called the government to remove luxury taxes on sanitary pads immediately.
The institute mediates the voices of many women in Ghana, especially young girls, and align with gender responsive advocacy groups on the insensitive position taken by government on the issue of period tax which affect women primarily.
It is the fact that Ghana, like many other countries is still recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also instructive to note that women and girls were part of the minorities that bore the brunt of the pandemic.
A UN women report revealed that 40 percent of all employed women – 510 million women globally – work in hard-hit sectors, compared to 36.6 per cent of employed men. It is within this context that government must pay keen attention to the issues affecting women and girls, especially menstrual hygiene as part of efforts to stabilize the economy.
The recent spike in the prices of goods and services as a result of an ailing economy, the price women and young girls have to pay for sanitary products is a big deal. High cost menstrual pads impacts negatively on menstrual hygiene, especially in rural Ghana post the pandemic.
Nearly a year ago, a pack of sanitary pads costs between Ghs 6.50p and Ghs 10. Now, same brands of sanitary towels cost between Ghs 15 and Ghs 20. Clearly, these price increases coupled with limited financial resources, only exacerbates period poverty in Ghana.
Research conducted by UNESCO reveals that, most girls are absent from school for four days in a month and end up losing 13 learning days equivalent in every school term.
The data clearly indicates a reversal in progress made in ensuring that young girls have equal benefits and access to education.
Indeed, the importance of taxes as critical revenue mobilization source for government is not lost on us. It is, however, a retrogressive public policy if revenue mobilization is placed ahead of key social services and necessities such as sanitary pads.
PEC appreciates the “free pads” solution proposed by some advocates, while we commend the idea, we, however, believe it will only create an avenue for unscrupulous persons to hoard and even sell these items rather than making them freely available to those who need them; defeating the very purpose for which they were made free.
The theme for this year’s IWD celebration is “Embrace Equity”. It is at the back of this that PEC makes this urgent demand of government to relook at taxes applied to menstrual products.
We believe that women and young girls can achieve their full potential if they are provided with the necessary resources. There is already so much discomfort with periods. It is thoughtless on the part of government to continue applying taxes to these sanitary items.
We are proposing a sustainable solution by calling on the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection to as a matter of urgency ensure that the taxes applied to sanitary towels are repealed and further enhance its accessibility to the average girl of school going age.
We also urge the ministry to liaise with the finance ministry, ministry of health and other relevant agencies to enable more local industries to go into the production of sanitary products, to create jobs for the teeming youth and address Ghana’s high unemployment situation.
By Sandra Emefa Dziwornu