The emergence of period poverty in Ghana has become one of the most disturbing and pressing issues over the years. Period poverty according to C. Bagness, (2020) is defined as the lack of access to sanitary products due to financial constraints, which can be caused by a wide range of life events that negatively impact on a girl or woman’s ability to access sanitary products to manage a most intimate and regular occurrence in her life.
This has been the plight of most women and girls in Ghana today. It might be surprising to think that in this 21st century, girls and women are subjected to this menace. As though society has not disadvantaged women enough, ranging from the various societal challenges such as domestic violence, rape, abusive marriages, etc. women are again deprived of the only dignity they have left which is to menstruate.
Its Emergence
The journey to this predicament took off when the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) slapped a 20% import tax levy and 12.5% value-added tax on all imported sanitary products under the 2012 Harmonized System (HS) and customs tariff schedules, causing the tax on sanitary products to shoot to about a whopping 40%, thus skyrocketing prices of sanitary products in the market.
The tax however has been termed a luxury tax. Meanwhile, Britannica Money defines luxury tax as an “excise levy on goods or services considered to be luxuries rather than necessities”. Luxury items then, according to Cleartax is referred to as “any item that is not essential to living but is considered highly desirable within society or culture, hence these goods are often a manifestation of conspicuous consumption which is the buying of products to show off one’s riches primarily or exclusively.”
Therefore, the idea of levying sanitary products as luxurious items raises a bar of question. Deducing from the definition above, are we then saying that sanitary products are not essential items or that girls and women purchase these products to show off their wealth? If it is so, then we should consider ourselves having a big problem at hand as a country.
Because of this initiative, sanitary products have become very expensive in the Ghanaian market and as a result, young girls and women who are financially constrained find it difficult to purchase these items to ensure they have a hygienic flow.
Grappling Effect
This situation poses threats to young girls and women, especially in the economic and educational spheres. It has even contributed to denigrating the dignity of females in our part of the world.
Females form about 50.13% of the total population of Ghana according to the World Bank collection of development indicators in 2022. This posits that the major population of the county are females. What then becomes of the development of our country if this majority are denied their basic health rights which deprive them of their full potential to contribute to economic growth?
Females who cannot afford these products tend to use rags and other unhealthy materials as a substitute for sanitary pads because of their expensive nature, and this places their health at risk. Various studies also indicate that young girls stay out of school when they are on their periods because they do not have access to sanitary pads to enable them to have a free and hygienic flow.
This problem has gone to the extent of making young girls sleep with men in exchange for money to purchase sanitary pads. This situation leaves young girls at the mercy of getting pregnant or even contracting dreadful diseases. When this happens, these girls who have dreams of contributing to the development of the country in the near future lose their essence in society.
Measures Taken and Responses
Over the years, some youth activists and groups in Ghana have launched various campaigns for the removal of the “luxury tax” on menstrual hygiene products. Some of these groups include; the Lady Pharmacist Association of Ghana (LAPAG), Ghana Union Traders Association (GUTA), Ghana Girls Guides, and The Socialist Movements of Ghana (SMG) among others.
The main aim of these campaigns was geared towards scraping all taxes on sanitary products in order to make prices of these products affordable. In relation to this, there are a number of petitions lying in Parliament and the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection (MoGCSP) to remove taxes on all sanitary products as these items should be considered basic essential products. However, the governments seem to have closed their eyes and ears to these petitions and campaigns.
Most recently, on 22nd June, 2023, the Socialist Movement of Ghana (SMG) in collaboration with Obasima and Yebetumi launched another protest on this subject which was dubbed “DON’T TAX MY PERIOD”. These groups marched to Parliament and presented their petition to the Speaker of Parliament who assured them that, taxing sanitary products is inhumane, hence necessary measures would be put in place to reduce the cost.
Two months after the protest, and nothing has happened. Even the recently read Mid-Year Budget Review did not capture this matter. Comparing the outcomes of the previous campaigns and protests to that of the recent ones makes it obvious to the ordinary Ghanaian that, it is a deliberate attempt by the governments to capitalize on the high demand of sanitary products by females to appropriate revenue.
What baffles me most is the fact that all these happened right under the noses of our female representatives in Parliament but they seem unperturbed about the issue. This should inform us that, it is not a matter of representation but of class interest.
Call To Action
Taxation on sanitary products is unjust and should be addressed accordingly as these products should fall under the category of basic essential products. By making sanitary pads affordable, we can help ensure that girls and women are able to manage their menstrual health and participate fully in all aspects of their lives.
Also, this should not be considered a female’s talk. It should be a conversation for both males and females. The ordinary Ghanaian should endeavor to add their voices and treat this as a national issue.
#PERIOD IS NOT A TABOO; LET’S TALK ABOUT IT! BREAK THE STIGMA! END PERIOD POVERTY NOW!