Government officials have been petitioned to reclassify sanitary pads as "essential medical necessities" by a coalition of 112 civil society organisations (CSOs).
According to the report, doing so would result in hygiene items having a zero tax rating and boost the likelihood that the nation would meet relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as objectives 3, 4, 5, and 6.
Levlyn Asiedu Konadu, the national coordinator, signed the petition on behalf of the CSOs, and it was delivered to the parliament and the ministries of health, finance, gender, children, and social protection.
The rally was one of several events held last Sunday to honour World Menstruation Day.
The event emphasised the significance of menstrual hygiene and raised awareness of the problems encountered by people without access to sanitary products.
Additionally, it was done to end the taboo around periods, combat the shame that is sometimes attached to them, and promote awareness of the value of menstrual hygiene for women and girls.
Demands
The petition demanded prompt action to eliminate the sanitary pad charge.
According to the petition, the government now defines sanitary pads as "miscellaneous manufactured articles," which are subject to a variety of taxes, including a 20% import tariff, a 15% import VAT, and other import levies.
In order to increase public education and awareness-creation about menstrual health and hygiene management as well as the provision of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities, the petitioners urged the government to increase investment and budgetary allocation as well as release funds to relevant sector ministries, departments, and agencies.
According to the report, such initiatives will aid in eradicating the discriminatory social and gender norms, myths, stigma, and other challenges related to menstruation in the nation.
Affordability
According to the petition, many teenage girls and women lack access to period products that are both clean and economical, as well as education and information about fundamental menstrual hygiene practises.
The petition further stated that "health experts suggest that due to rising poverty levels, which have been made worse by the recent global economic crises, most homes, especially in low-income communities, cannot afford to provide girls and young women with the necessary menstrual hygiene products to help them manage their periods with dignity and without stigma and shame.
The petitioners said that the administration had failed to follow through on its pledge to eliminate import taxes on sanitary pads if it won the 2020 election.
"Nearly three years after the promise was made, it is still unmet. Instead, the petition claimed that because of the rising taxes levied on consumer items, the price of sanitary pads is rising.
The petitioners believed that any policy that marginalised a segment of the population and drove them further into poverty had no place in a welcoming and democratic society.
They argued that because sanitary pads are specifically aimed at women, taxes on them are unfair, unethical, and profoundly discriminatory.
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