The role of menstrual equity is not sufficiently emphasised in discussions on gender equality, women’s empowerment, and development at large. Menstrual equity is ensuring that menstrual hygiene products are safe, affordable, and accessible, in addition to access to the right education and reproductive care.
Given that menstruation is a natural biological function, menstrual hygiene is considered a fundamental aspect of women’s health and well-being and therefore, women’s rights The inadequate access to safe affordable sanitary products and quality menstrual hygiene information has consequences beyond physical and mental health of women and girls in Ghana.
Menstrual inequity perpetuates gender inequalities by limiting opportunities to fully participate in society and access to education. A study reports that 95% of girls in rural areas miss school during their periods due to a lack of sanitary pads, constituting period poverty.
Girls who cannot afford sanitary pads may miss school during their periods, leading to a disruption in their education and widening the gender gap. This affects their long-term prospects and limits their opportunities for personal and economic growth.
Women who struggle to afford sanitary products may also face challenges in their work and social participation, hindering their ability to fully participate in society and achieve their potential.
Menstrual inequities also expose girls and women to increased risks of infections and other health complications due to misinformation and ignorance. In some dire cases, menstrual inequity is a breeding ground for sexual violence.
This inherently means that the non-achievement of menstrual equity is a risk to the attainment of SDG 5: Gender equality, and consequently to all the other sixteen SDGs in different scales.
Period poverty (absence of menstrual equity) is often limited to the inadequate access to menstrual hygiene products mainly due to high costs.
While this may seemingly be the most glaring pain point, it is also important to note that the phenomenon of period poverty entails the lack or inadequacy of access to menstrual hygiene and reproductive education, as well as the inadequacy of or lack of access to hygiene facilities like clean toilets, changing rooms with reliable water supply.
The absence of which will deny women and girls safe and dignified periods. Another worthy contribution to the discourse around period poverty is the need to expand the conversation beyond the parameters of school absenteeism to other equally troubling resultant challenges such as the increased risks of sexual exploitation.
On the issue of expensive menstrual hygiene products, many women and girls are finding it increasingly difficult to afford basic necessities, including sanitary products as costs of living continue to rise in Ghana. This is aggravated among those living in low-income households or marginalized communities.
Women and girls who cannot afford sanitary products may resort to using unhygienic alternatives such as cloth, leaves, or even unsafe materials, risking their health and well-being, risking their health, and increasing their vulnerability to infections and diseases.
With money being a major barrier in the first place, who is to say that these infections would be treated the right way and in a timely fashion to forestall dire health challenges in future?
Period poverty also exposes girls and women to increased risks of sexual violence and other forms of abuse. We have heard several reports across media showing this stark reality for many girls and women in Ghana.
Girls and women who cannot afford menstrual products may be forced to exchange sex for money or menstrual hygiene products, putting them at risk of sexual abuse and exploitation.
Furthermore, they may be forced by circumstances to engage in transactional sex to acquire menstrual products, which can lead to unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and other physical and mental health complications.
In some cases, they stay in relationships where they face frequent abuse just to be able to access basic needs including their menstrual hygiene products. Death as a result of intimate partner violence remains an ever-present risk such women face.
Scrap the tax on menstrual hygiene products!
Menstrual hygiene products in Ghana attract 12.5% VAT and 20% import duty taxes. With rising cost of living and the skyrocketing prices witnessed across all sectors in the last few years, we have seen the cost of menstrual pads move from Ghc7 to as high as Ghc20 in the last quarter of 2022. Not much progress has been made since a proposal by Hon. Adwoa Safo to waive the taxes on menstrual hygiene products.
This is telling of the level of government commitment to girl child and women empowerment.
It should not be a luxury to have a safe and dignified period. Menstrual hygiene products are necessities, not items one can choose to live without.
Girls and women deserve to be comfortable when menstruating, considering the various hormonal changes with their attendant physical and mental manifestations.
Women and girls should not face financial barriers in managing their menstrual health. It is time the government of Ghana worked with the Ghana Revenue Authority to categorise menstrual hygiene products as zero-rated (essential social goods). #ScraptheTax #DontTaxOurPeriods
Source: myjoyonline.com
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect The Chronicle’s stance.
