Behaviour Change Specialist of Global Communities, Mr. Martin Sumbo, has called on the Government of Ghana to scrap the luxury tax on sanitary pads as Ghana joins the world in marking Menstrual Hygiene Day.
This comes on the back of Ghana categorizing sanitary pads under luxury products and slapping 20 percent import duty on it.
Speaking to Yagbon Radio on discussions to celebrate the day, Mr. Martin said there is nothing luxurious about periods for sanitary pads to be charged a luxury tax.
According to Mr. Martin the imposition of taxes on sanitary pads has made it difficult for girls to have access to these pads when experiencing their periods.
“The inability of a girl to get access to a sanitary pad can lead to school drop out due to the stigma attached to it” Mr Martin noted.
It will be helpful if government provides sanitary pads to the girls, this i think will help reduce school drop especially in the rural communities, Mr. Martin stressed on.
One of the facilitators, Mr. Abubakari Karim also called on parents to owned up and always provide sanitary pads to their girls whenever they are experiencing their periods.
The stigma attached to girls whenever they are in their periods in communities and schools must be discouraged, Mr. Karim indicated.
The act of considering girls as impure when in their periods is not a good a practice as it demeans the girl’s image, Mr. Karim added.
Menstrual Hygiene Day (MHD) is commemorated globally on May 28 every year with the aim to break taboos surrounding menstruation.
The day is also to highlight the importance of good menstrual hygiene management (MHM) and raise awareness of the importance of good menstrual hygiene worldwide.
Mr. Martin Sumbo, the behaviour specialist was in the company of Madam Asana Iddrisu, Jonathan Nanyim, James Avoye, Edward Ackom all of Global Communities and 3 teachers from GES who helped to sensitized the general public on Menstral Hygiene Day, its effects and challenges on the girl- child through Yagbon Radio platform.
By Chipo Kwaku
