Call To Declare Tax Free on Menstrual Products Intensifies

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Prominent   Liberian women have joined the campaign   “Reduce or Drop Taxes and Tariffs on Menstrual Products” to make these essential items accessible, affordable, and available to every woman and girl across the country.

Speaking at the World Menstrual Hygiene Day celebration, organized by the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection at the University of Liberia’s Fendell Campus on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, Gender Minister Gbeme Horace Kollie highlighted  the need to reduce or eliminate taxes on menstrual pads to make them affordable for all.

Minister Kollie emphasized that making menstrual products accessible, affordable, and available is a core commitment of their advocacy to protect the rights of all Liberian women. She noted  that the lack of affordable menstrual products is a critical issue that continues to hinder school girls’ education, causing them to miss classes during their menstrual periods.

In her special remarks, Ms. Gloria D. Yancy, Program Specialist for Gender-Based Violence/Harmful Practices at UNFPA Liberia’s Office, stated, “The United Nations Population Fund is glad to join the Ministry of Gender and Social Protection and other partners in observing World Menstrual Hygiene Day under the theme ‘Creating a world where every individual has access to safe and dignified menstrual hygiene management.’”

“Indeed, menstrual health is a human rights and dignity issue, not just a health one. Everyone has a right to bodily autonomy. The ability to care for one’s body while menstruating is an essential part of this fundamental freedom. Yet, globally, hundreds of millions of people lack access to menstrual products and adequate facilities for menstrual health. Poor menstrual health and hygiene undercut fundamental rights for women and girls of reproductive age, worsening social and economic inequalities,” Yancy added.

“There is wide agreement on what people need for good menstrual hygiene management. The essential elements are:

1. Safe, acceptable, and reliable supplies to manage menstruation;

2. Privacy to change materials;

3. Inclusive Water and Sanitation (WASH) facilities that provide privacy; and

4. Information to make informed choices.”

Yancy noted that comprehensive approaches combining education with infrastructure and products, along with efforts to tackle stigma, are most successful in achieving good menstrual health and hygiene. UNFPA’s initiatives include providing education, safe sanitation facilities, and dignity kits containing essential products like soap and menstrual supplies. Last year, UNFPA collaborated with the Office of the Vice President of Liberia to provide menstrual hygiene kits and reusable pads in seven counties, a first step towards developing menstrual hygiene banks in schools. This year, UNFPA is working with the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection to empower young girls with access to information and distribute menstrual hygiene products.

Victoria Torlo Koiquah, WaterAid Liberia Funding Manager, emphasized that “Menstrual hygiene management is not just a matter of convenience; it is crucial for women’s health, dignity, and confidence. It impacts education, empowerment, gender equality, and social norms.” She pointed out that approximately 1.2 million women and girls in Liberia menstruate each month but face serious challenges in managing their menstrual cycles due to limited awareness and harmful gender norms.

WaterAid, an international not-for-profit organization, has been working in Liberia since 2009 to make clean water, decent toilets, and good hygiene normal for everyone. WaterAid Liberia has implemented WASH projects, reaching over 109,350 people with clean water, 72,450 people with improved sanitation, and 115,500 people with hygiene promotion. Through initiatives like the HerWASH project, WaterAid has worked to break the stigma surrounding menstruation, raise awareness in schools and communities, and develop national guidelines for Menstrual Hygiene Management. They have also trained champions, supported pad producers, and constructed menstrual hygiene management-friendly latrines in schools.

Lastly, Liberia’s Presidential Press Secretary, Kula Fofana, called on men in society to be knowledgeable about the menstrual cycle and respect women during their periods. “The adolescent stage is a very important and critical stage for girls’ lives. Without good guidance and the information they need, they can easily go astray,” Fofana noted. 

In an effort to have a world where women and girls are healthy and empowered to manage their menstruation safely, hygienically, with confidence and without shame, the Menstrual Hygiene Day (MHD, MH Day) which is an annual awareness day held on May 28, highlights the importance of good menstrual hygiene management at a global level. It was initiated by the German-based NGO WASH United. In 2013 and was first celebrated in 2014. The day is observed on 28th May because menstrual cycles average 28 days in length and people menstruate an average of five days each month and May is the fifth month of the year.

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Adolescent Girls Advisory Panel (AGAP), and the Adolescent Girls Working Group (AGWG) in collaboration with other MACs, will on this Day, provide the platform for knowledge sharing for adolescent girls in communities where there are more out of school girls that have not had the opportunity to have such information. It is important to note that out-of-school adolescent girls have limited access to information as compare to girls in school.

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