A female teacher at the Anglican Junior High School at Agboba, a suburb of Accra in the Greater Accra region, and a resident of Ada, has added her voice to the calls for government to reduce the taxes on sanitary pads.
Patience Mensah, who has taught for 26 years, has indicated that they have to resort to teaching the children how to sew reusable pads and wash them after usage.
Speaking at the People’s Assembly on Onua
TV’s Maakye Friday, August 02, 2024, she pleaded with the government to scrap the taxes on the pad or reduce it drastically to make it affordable for the young adults.
She explained that some parents have three or four daughters who are all in their menstruation age, indicating how challenging it is for them to afford the pads.
“Some have 3 or four kids and a pad costs average 18 cedis so it is unbearable. I always have a pad in my bag and give it to them and tell them to get some at home when they return. Sometimes we call on benevolent groups who come to our aid to help us,” she pleaded.
Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament for Ada, Comfort Doyoe-Cudjoe Ghansah, also speaking at the Assembly expressed the need to re-emphasized that menstruation is a natural phenomenon and the imposition of taxes on sanitary pads which is a basic necessity of life is reinforcing the gender and social norms which efforts are being made to minimize.
The lack of accessibility and affordability is throwing girls and young women out of school and businesses which further widens the inequality gap in education and economic empowerment of women and girls. There are health implications for girls and young women who resort to the use of unhygienic menstrual products because sanitary pads are expensive.
She stressed that all sanitary pads be made affordable, accessible, and available to enable young girls to be able to afford.
Source:onuaonline.com