Menstruation is no luxury, waive tax on pads – NGO tells govt

Executive Director of Shalom Foundation, Shalom Lumor, has called on the government to scrap luxury tax on sanitary pads as the world celebrates 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 GhanaWeb, Shalom Lumor said there is nothing luxurious about periods for sanitary pads to be charged a luxury tax.

“Not only is it unfair, but the decision to tax sanitary products as luxury items is forcing some women to take desperate measures. Being forced to pay for the "luxury" of getting your period isn't fair, and sometimes it can be too much of a challenge. Menstrual hygiene should be a right, not a luxury.”

“Menstrual products are essentials and they shouldn't be as expensive as they are, something needs to change,” she noted.

The campaigner further argued that the controversial tax on sanitary pads when removed will be a boost for girls' education.

“Menstrual periods are among the leading factors for girls to drop out of school in a country where most girls have no access to sanitary pads. Tax on pads tackles one of the biggest barriers to education for girls. The tax on sanitary pads when scrapped will help more girls to go to school during their periods and boost their job prospects.”

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.