Scotland has made history by becoming the first country in the world to make period products free for all women and girls, no matter their background or personal circumstances. But why shouldn’t Ghana do the same?
While it may seem luxurious to grant such an item free to all, other countries should pay attention to how much an impact it can make on young girls’ lives. And let’s face it – pads and tampons are no luxury item – they’re a necessity! Shouldn’t our government do more to ensure that girls don’t miss school because of their periods?
Menstruation is a natural process that happens to every girl, yet there is still so much shame and taboo surrounding it. Education about menstrual hygiene is vital to break down these barriers and empower girls to feel confident and comfortable during their periods.
Although menstruation is a natural process that half of the world’s population goes through, there are still many hindrances making them have a safe period.
The Case of Ghana
In Ghana, the government has placed a luxury tax on tampons and pads, making them even more expensive for women. This is especially unfair considering that periods are a natural part of life and not a choice. Now statistics from various data-driven organizations show that teenage girls who cannot afford sanitary pads engage in sex in exchange for pad money thereby increasing the number of teenage pregnancies.
There have been stories of girls missing school because their families cannot even provide them with pads to enable them to have safe menstruation. This is particularly hard on women and girls, who are often the ones who have to miss school or work because they can’t afford these items. The lack of sanitary pads for girls who cannot afford them denies their access to fully participate in school. The rags, however, could affect their health due to their poor condition. The World Bank has estimated that 11.5 million women and girls in Ghana lack access to hygiene management facilities that aid in healthy menstrual hygiene management.
Most primary and secondary schools’ education and other public spaces do not have change rooms and proper sanitary pad disposal that gives girls the luxury and comfort they desire during that time of the month.
Lack of education about periods can lead to health problems, as women may not know how to properly care for their bodies during this time. Making period products free and accessible to all would go a long way in destigmatizing menstruation and improving women’s health worldwide. These issues of the girl child not having the right materials during menstruation can lead to health problems like toxic shock syndrome (TSS) and infections.
This is just one of the many ways in which women around the world suffer simply because they happen to be born female, says UN Women’s Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. We must break down barriers that hold back their potential.
The Way Forward
Allowing girls access to tampons and pads will not only help them feel more at ease but also make them more likely to attend school while on their periods. Condoms are tax-free so why can’t pads be the same?
If we want to promote gender equality, why can’t we rather channel the resources we provide for condoms to be shared to that of pads, after all, sex is a choice but menstruation is mandatory.
The gender Ministry should be up and doing to ensure that this injustice against women and girls ceases.
You do write well but sometimes your heading is too harsh. Why are you condemning the use of the traditional way of keeping themselves neat while menstruating? It is the same method our ancestors used but now our love for foreign things has blinded our thoughts to see goodness in our own.
If these traditional ways have been known to bring about illnesses, should their use still be encouraged? Indeed, in certain areas of life, the traditional ways of doing things have en shunned to the detriment of our own health. Some examples are medicine and even the foods we eat Moreover, looking at convenience, the days of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers were not characterised by girls going to school. It was, therefore, easier for them to wash and change the napkins they used during their time of the month. However, in contemporary times where girls now go to school, to still use napkins which require washing and drying before reusing will make the whole process very inconvenient for the girls and also their classmates. The sanitary pads, thus, are a convenient option to keep the girls at school while also maintaining good menstrual hygiene.
In the face of convenience, therefore, if sanitary pads are too expensive to be afforded by these girls due to unnecessary taxes then the government of the day is indirectly telling these girls to embrace the use of napkins and the accompanying health complications, which include staying home and not going to school during their period. This makes the whole gender field uneven as boys, by these taxes, are given an advantage in an already patriarchal society.
Don’t you think so?
Good writeup👍🏼.
Let’s support our girls.
For your latter part of the comment, that’s the story of another day. There are certain things that it was nature that made it so not society. There are other things that we can talk about that boys also feel the pinch more than the female gender but like I said that is a story for another day.
Studies have shown that the old methods are far better than now. During those days women normally menstruate for 6 to 7 days but it has drastically reduced now. Yes, women in the olden days did not go to school but they were doing other rigorous activities than going to school. Or you think that it is only now that women go out. They also went to the market, farms, and other places. I do appreciate the article it is very nice but the olden methods should not be discouraged in that way.
Sure. Thank you for your great insight.