Menstruation: NGOs Seek Removal Of Tax On Sanitary Pads

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs), Girls’ Power Initiative (GPI), Love Foundation, Mind-Building Empowerment Foundation, Centre for Anti-prostitution and Empowerment, and Caritas Development Initiative have urged the federal government to remove taxes on menstrual products.

They said high costs make the essential items inaccessible to many users.

They spoke at an event to educate young girls on menstrual hygiene and provide them with essential sanitary products.

The national liaison officer/head of operations for (GPI), Vera Rolin Igbinadolor, made the call yesterday in Abuja in commemoration of World Menstrual Hygiene Day with the theme: “Pad A Girl.”

She reiterated the importance of this initiative. “We noticed that many girls cannot afford sanitary wares and know very little about menstrual hygiene. We cannot continue like this. We decided to start from the slums before moving to urban areas,” she said.

Igbinadolor noted that the event in Gwagwa community was part of a larger plan to reach four communities on the outskirts of Abuja, including Rosville community, Karu community, and areas around the Bwari area.

She also appealed to the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Women Affairs to collaborate with NGOs and CSOs. “We are here to partner with the government.

“They need to join hands with us to reach girls in these grassroots communities. For example, just like the school feeding programme, we could have pads available in schools. Girls could access them through their principals or head teachers during their menstrual periods,” she said.

On her part, the programme manager of Love Foundation, Deborah Oladipo, stressed that the “Pad A Girl” initiative aims to combat period poverty and promote menstrual hygiene.

“We are here to ensure that girls know how to keep themselves clean during their periods and understand that menstruation is a normal biological process. It’s essential for everyone to acknowledge this and not make it a source of shame or discrimination,” she said.

She emphasised the importance of community support, stressing that no one should experience body shaming or self-esteem issues due to menstruation.

Also, the CEO of Mind Building and Empowerment Foundation, Quincy Effiong, said, “Tax reductions on menstrual products would make them affordable for all girls, ensuring they do not resort to unsafe alternatives that pose health risks.”

She appealed to the Nigerian government to make menstrual products cheap and accessible and to involve various sectors in supporting menstrual health education.