Tema-Ghana, Aug. 16, GNA – Dr Aniagyei Lukeman, a Menstrual Health Advocate, says scrapping taxes on sanitary pads is a means of promoting girl child literacy in the country.
He said the inability of girls to purchase sanitary pads during their periods prevented some of them from going to school for the number of days they were menstruating, describing such conditions as a threat to the country’s efforts towards promoting girl child education.
Dr Lukeman, who was speaking with the Ghana News Agency in an interview said the situation did not only affect their education, but also resulted in health complications such as Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs), among others.
He expressed worry that there had been several reports of how some men took advantage of adolescent girls just because they could not afford to purchase sanitary pads, saying it would be of great benefit to the country to seek preventive measures in dealing with teenage pregnancy, menstrual hygiene issues and girl child education in the country.
Dr Lukeman explained that payment of taxes must affect the whole country and it was discriminatory for the tax to affect only a group of people in the country.
He suggested that sanitary pads be provided free for targeted individuals, especially in rural areas, who could not afford to purchase them.
