A non-governmental organisation known as Renel Ghana Foundation is threatening to embark on a demonstration if government does not remove the tax on sanitary pads in the country.
A statement released by the women and children rights activists shows the #MyPeriodMattersCampaign is slated for May 30, 2023.
The estimated cost of one pad in Ghana averages about GH¢25 making it difficult for girls and women in rural areas to afford.
Currently, the Ghanaian government levies a 20% luxury tax and an additional 12.5% VAT on sanitary napkins.
"Females are specifically targeted by this tax since it coincides with a normal event in the reproductive process. The tax is morally and highly unjust. A state should never have to give its citizens, especially the most vulnerable members of society, the option of choosing to keep them safe and clean or not, the Renel Ghana Foundation stated in a statement.
The group referenced a UNESCO report showing that most girls miss four (4) days of school per month and end up wasting 13 learning days over the course of a school year.
It also stated that a girl misses 39 study days—or the equivalent of six weeks—during a nine-month school year because she doesn't have access to sanitary napkins.
"The lives of females will suffer greatly as a result of this circumstance. The organization said, "Any legislation that discriminates against a segment of the population and drives individuals into poverty has no place in an inclusive and democratic state. This is why we are concerned about this subject.
Thus, the group appealed to well-meaning Ghanaians and pertinent stakeholders to join forces in advancing its cause.