Adolescent girls in the Central Region have called on the government to scrap the 20 per cent tax on sanitary pads, which is a disincentive in the promotion of girl-child health and education.
According to them, many girls could not afford sanitary pads forcing them into sexual relationship with older men and adolescent boys in exchange for money to buy sanitary towels.
Others said they were also compelled to use unhygienic materials such as pieces of cloth, which could lead to infections if not properly sanitised.
Ms. Christabel Nti, a 16-year-old pupil of Assin-Amoabin D/A School, made the appeal on behalf of teenage girls in the region at a forum to mark this year’s International Day of the Girl Child (IDGC) in Cape Coast.
The forum also formed part of the Safe Protective Environment for Adolescent Development (SPREAD), an advocacy campaign by the International Needs Ghana (INGH), a Non-Governmental Organisation, dedicated to transforming lives and changing communities.
Among others, the SPREAD initiative seeks to promote a safe environment for boys and girls to reduce adolescent pregnancy and abuse at the community level.
With support from UNICEF, the girls’ empowerment meeting was on the theme: “Ending adolescent pregnancy, abuse, and exploitation; a shared responsibility.”
Ms. Nti stated that the natural process for girls in the journey of monthly menstruation should not be misconstrued since it was a natural occurrence, which a woman or girl did not have any control over.
“Scrapping the tax will afford the girls the ability to purchase the pads they are comfortable with to boost their confidence because they know they are well protected and can stay longer in school and class. The government should do something about it,” she implored.
Likewise, Ms. Nti backed calls for waiver on medical bills of survivors of rape, defilement, and other forms of abuse before a medical report was issued for police to initiate action for justice.
To her, the current arrangement prevented many victims of abuse from going to the police since they were unable to pay to obtain a medical report.
She called for more education on menstrual hygiene to help demystify it so that girls would not feel ashamed to let others know that they were in their menses.
“Parents should ensure that they educate their young girls on menstruation before menarche to help minimise the discomfort that they go through.”
Furthermore, she also proposed that the government invest in alternative local materials and support the local industries to produce affordable and easily accessible pads.
Mrs Richlove Amamoo, the Central Regional Director of the Department of Gender, received the petition and pledged to forward it to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection for policy intervention.
She lauded INGH for the holistic approach to girls’ development initiatives and urged the organisation to keep up the good work.
Mr Isaac Arthur, a Child Rights Activist with INGH, said the SPREAD project was an intervention being implemented in 55 communities within 11 districts across three regions in Ghana.
The goal of the project was to contribute to the reduction of adolescent pregnancy, abuse, and exploitation at the community level by promoting a safe and protective environment for adolescent boys and girls.
With that, he committed the INGH to sustain awareness creation on the rights of the child as well as build the capacity of families and communities to protect children from violence and abuse as enshrined in the constitution.
Earlier, discussants drawn from the Ghana Police Service, Social Welfare, traditional leaders, and Child Right Activists among others took turns to address pertinent national issues affecting the development of young people particularly, the girl-child.
