Menstruation at high cost in Ghana?

It may sound funny, astonishing, scaring, irrelevant and surprising, but in an actual sense, this is exactly what is being considered in a country with a population of over 33.4 million Ghanaians, of whom 16.4 million are women (according to the 2021 Population Census), who cannot avoid going through the mandatory menstrual cycle, popularly referred to as ‘period’, in their lifetime. Un­less otherwise, which can be attribut­ed to sickness on the part of women and, therefore, obstructs their menstrual cycles, almost all women created by the Almighty God cannot escape menstruation.

PROTEST BY WOMEN ON HIGH TAX

On June 22, Ghanaian activists, mostly women, took to the streets of Accra for what they termed, “Don’t Tax My Period” demonstration and placard march. The protest took place against the heavy taxation of menstrual hygiene products. Organ­ised by the Women’s Wing of the Socialist Movement of Ghana (SMG) in collaboration with some Non-Govern­mental Organizations (NGOs), Yebetu­mi and Obaasima, the demonstration was aimed at drawing Ghanaians and, for that matter, the government’s attention to the pervasive issue of period poverty.

The protestors, we are told, marched to parliament while it was in session, where the Speaker, the honorable Alban Sumani Bagbin, had to pause the on-going session to meet with their delegation over their demands. Astonished and amazed by the concerns of the protestors, Speaker Bagbin assured the protes­tors that their concerns would be given serious consideration with a positive response to their demands as early as possible.

SPEAKER’S REACTION TO TAXES

The protestors have vowed to return to the streets if taxes on menstrual hygiene products are not removed. Meanwhile, the Speaker, we are told, has described the taxes on sanitary pads as unfair. “Imposing taxes on sanitary pads was a car­dinal sin,” says Speaker Bagbin in the front-page headline of the Daily Searchlight newspaper on June 23, 2023.

For the benefit of those, especially the opposite sex (men), who do not understand what ‘period poverty’ means. Let me summarize it in one sentence for them to be informed since my work as a journalist is sim­ply to educate, inform and entertain the people about what is going on around them in the public space. ‘Period poverty’ is simply a situa­tion in which women and girls from deprived backgrounds are too poor to afford the hygienic sanitary products needed to protect themselves during their menstruation.

POVERTY-STRICKEN RURAL COM­MUNITIES

Just imagine the poverty-stricken rural communities across the country where people are finding it very dif­ficult to make ends meet. Apart from the availability of foodstuffs from farm gates and bush meat, the peo­ple live in perpetual poverty as they cannot afford luxury items to supple­ment whatever they have to rely on. Even how to cater for their children’s education has been a major problem for parents and guardians. How much more the imposition of huge taxes of 12.5 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) and 20 per cent import duty on sanitary products due to what is being termed escalating prices on the shipment of these products? Even vulnerable women and girls in the urban communities in the country are finding the cost of living very difficult to cope with the situation; how much more the rural folks?

AGI POSITION ON HIGH TAXATION

It is worthy of note that the Asso­ciation of Ghana Industries (AGI) is kicking against the removal of duties on imported sanitary pads, explaining that any policy by the government that seeks to remove taxes on the imported sanitary pads at the ex­pense of local manufacturers of the products would be very detrimental to the economy. “Our young women deserve affordable sanitary pads, but granting tax waivers on imported san­itary pads is not the way to go. We caution the government not to play to the gallery, rather stay focused on its industrial transformation agenda by incentivizing local manufacturers rather than imports,” says the AGI.

In fact, there are many, including this writer, who are highly disappoint­ed with the standpoint and argument of the AGI, describing the association as being selfish and not sympathetic to our vulnerable women and girls in society. Some are of the opinion that they should rather urge the govern­ment to remove the taxes and give contracts to local manufacturers to produce the sanitary pads so that the government would absorb the payments and distribute them free of charge to our children in schools. Some schools of thought think that advising the government not to play to the gallery means the AGI is not sympathetic to the cause of the poor and vulnerable in society.

COUNTRIES THAT SUPPLY PADS FREELY

It is a fact that in other jurisdic­tions in the world, especially in Africa, such as Kenya, South Africa, Botswana and Zambia, these men­struation period products are provid­ed free of charge to these vulnerable women and school girls, just because of their essence and the fact that the majority of them cannot simply afford these products. We are being told that since most parents in the rural areas of Ghana cannot afford these sanitary pads for their children in school, most of them have resorted to the use of unorthodox and unhy­gienic means such as using leaves from tree branches to protect them­selves from excessive bleeding. We need not subscribe to some of these unhealthy practices to the detriment of our women and the little ones.

Let us not downplay this all-import­ant issue because women, who are an important segment of society, need to be adored and cherished because of their vital roles, especially in the upbringing of children. They must therefore be supported in all aspects of daily life so that they can fulfill their avowed duty in society with dis­tinction. Never should they be looked down upon in matters that will pro­mote their welfare and enhance their progress.

PARLIAMENT SENSIBILITY ON WOMEN’S PLIGHT

Our lawmakers, led by Speaker Bagbin, have shown their sensibility to the plight of this vulnerable and underprivileged group and are ready to ensure that these high taxes are not imposed on them unduly to de­prive them of their womanhood. The august parliament deserves commen­dation, and it is the expectation of Ghanaians that the house will live up to its promise of making life com­fortable for our women and girls in society.

Just as most Ghanaians have sug­gested, parliament must liaise with the Executive arm of government to enact laws that will encourage the support and promotion of our local industries so that they produce these sanitary pads and other menstruation products locally, so as to discourage the importation of these products and bring down taxes to the barest minimum. In so doing, our under­privileged women and girls will be relieved of the unnecessary financial burden.

The issue of menstruation for wom­en is certainly not negotiable because it is what God has ordained, and they must endure and go through the process without hindrance whatsoev­er. There should be no impediment in their way whatsoever as they go through this excruciating and painful moment in their lives. We salute you all, women, for your toil and sacri­fice, which are not in vain!

By Charles Neequaye

Contact email/WhatsApp of au­thor:

HYPERLINK “mailto:ataani2000@ yahoo.com” ataani2000@yahoo.com

0277753946/0248933366

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