By Elorm Yao Aryee
The need for government to remove taxes on the importation of menstrual products dominated discussions at Kpando-Gabi in the Kpando Municipality during the celebration of this year’s World Menstrual Hygiene Day.
Stakeholders and schoolgirls at the event advocated for government to break the cycle of period poverty, which is a major challenge for most girls and women in the country.
The event was organised by the Kpando Young Ladies Association (KYLA) in collaboration with the Kpando Municipal Directorate of the Ghana Education Service.
Period poverty or lack of kits and facilities to properly manage menstrual hygiene, is a challenge for many low-income women and girls in the country. Government, however, remains adamant about calls by several groups to scrap taxes on the importation of menstrual products.
As a result, buying menstrual products has become unaffordable and inaccessible for vulnerable women and girls. KYLA’s sensitisation event at Kpando-Gabi formed part of its drive to groom girls in the area to be responsible adults.
The group donated sanitary pads to the schoolgirls from various basic and second-cycle institutions in the Kpando Municipality. Health workers educated the girls on how to manage menstrual hygiene to stay healthy.
The President of the Association, Jemima Osai, said menstruation, which is a natural occurrence in the lives of females, should not be a barrier to their survival. She encouraged Ghanaians to assist low income women and girls to cater for their menstrual needs in a bid to eliminate period poverty.
The Guest Speaker of the event, Catherine Ekar, urged government to heed the call to remove taxes on menstrual products to make them affordable and accessible.
The Member of Parliament for Kpando, Dela Sowah, advocated for the removal of tax on menstrual products. She pledged to continue with the advocacy in and outside parliament until government heeded the demand. Mrs Sowah advised the schoolgirls to focus on achieving their goals.
The Kpando Municipal Chief Executive, Geoffrey Badasu, pledged the Assembly’s support to activities geared towards paving the way for especially girls to thrive. Some of the school girls expressed gratitude to the organisers of the event, saying that it has broaden their knowledge on menstrual hygiene management.
They also pledged to educate their colleagues at home and school.
The Association also donated sanitary pads to schoolgirls at the Abanu Community Inclusive Special School, Gadza MA Basic and Konda Basic Schools, and Dzewui Community Sanitary Pad Bank.
The gesture was supported by the OHHEMA Sanitary Pad and Land-rover Defender Club.
The Association has begun an outreach programme to assist students, especially young girls in the area to achieve their goals.
