OVER THE LAST few years, increased efforts have been applied globally to wipe out taxes on essential menstrual hygiene products such as sanitary pads. This issue has gained traction as countries recognize the importance of ensuring menstrual health and dignity for all individuals.
FOR US, (LIBERIA) one apt reason for the Liberian government to abolish taxes on sanitary pads is to address the challenges faced by women and girls regarding menstrual hygiene.
IN LIBERIA, ACCESS to affordable menstruation products is a privilege. According to reports, poverty forces half of the adolescent girls and women across the country to use unhygienic old rags to manage their menstruation. The cost of a pad in Liberia is L$190 or US$1.
AS THE CAMPAIGN heightened against period poverty last year, Women’s rights advocates said a typical girl needs ten pads a month for $LD2000 or $US10. The World Bank says the average Liberian lives on just $US53 a month. That means the cost of pads alone would take twenty percent of the average Liberian’s income.
IN LIBERIA, THERE is no clear data on the number of girls affected by period poverty but a report in 2022 by ActionAid Liberia said that one in every 10 girls in Sub-Saharan Africa misses school due to lack of access to sanitary pads. As one of the poorest countries in Africa Liberia’s number is likely far higher. The UN estimates about 1.2 million women and girls in Liberia menstruate each month. Liberia has one of the world’s highest levels of children not in school.
IN GHANA, WHERE data is recorded, the majority of adolescent girls miss school each month due to menstruation, with prevalence ranging from 27.5 percent to 95 percent depending on the area.
HOWBEIT, ACCESS TO affordable menstrual products is a basic necessity that should not be a financial burden for individuals. The elimination of taxes on sanitary pads can help alleviate the economic strain on women and girls who already face inequalities in various aspects of life.
SEVERAL COUNTRIES HAVE already taken steps to remove taxes on sanitary pads, setting a positive example for Liberia to follow. For instance, countries like Kenya, India, and Canada have implemented policies to make menstrual products more accessible and affordable.
THESE INITIATIVES HAVE not only improved access to menstrual hygiene products but have also contributed to destigmatizing menstruation, and prioritizing the health and well-being of women and girls.
IN JUNE 2022, Community Healthcare Initiative (CHI), a feminist-led organization established in 2014, petitioned the 54th National Legislature to take action to improve menstrual health by abolishing a tax on sanitary pads and providing menstrual changing rooms in schools.
NUSONE PERKINS, CHI head of communication and mobilization while reading the petition argued that the high cost of sanitary pads means thousands of Liberian women and girls do not have access to the product which is necessary for their wellbeing.
MS. PERKINS: “MENSTRUATION is a normal biological process; therefore, women and girls should not be denied access to hygienic products,” Ms. Perkin added. We are here to ask our lawmakers to publicly stand with the women and girls of Liberia, to tackle period poverty by removing taxes and import duties on sanitary pads, which will make the product more affordable and accessible for women and girls, especially those who cannot afford it.”
DURING THE OBSERVANCE of the 2022, Menstrual Hygiene Day celebration, a conglomeration of women’s rights organizations in Partnership with ActionAid Liberia, increased the campaign with a call to the past government to ensure that the importation of sanitary pads is duty-free. The call was intended to ensure that Sanitary Pads are affordable and accessible for women and girls across Liberia.
UNFORTUNATELY, NOTHING HAS changed, as the legislators of the 54th legislature abandoned the petition. Because of this, a lot of young women and girls, including the female inmates at the Sanniquellie Central Prison remained constrained with unpleasant sanitary conditions.
OUR RECENT REPORT of female inmates at the Sanniquellie Central Prison points towards the urgent need for action to address the challenges faced by women in accessing sanitary pads and healthcare during menstruation. The dehumanizing experiences described by the inmates underscore the importance of ensuring that all individuals have access to adequate menstrual hygiene resources, regardless of their circumstances.
A MENSTRUAL PAD, or simply a pad, (also known as a sanitary pad, sanitary towel, sanitary napkin, or feminine napkin) is an absorbent item worn by women in their underwear when menstruating, bleeding after giving birth, recovering from gynecologic surgery, experiencing a miscarriage or abortion, or in any other situation where it is necessary to absorb a flow of blood from the vagina.
ABOLISHING TAXES ON sanitary pads in Liberia is a crucial step towards promoting menstrual health and dignity for women and girls. We believe it is time for Liberia to take a proactive stance on this issue and demonstrate its commitment to upholding the rights and dignity of all its citizens, especially women.
