By Friday Simbaya, Iringa
Some health stakeholders and women and girls activists across the country hails the government for scrapping off value added tax (VAT) on sanitary towels which they said it will help school girls in various schools to be in schools through the year without missing lesions, it has been reviewed.
The forgiveness Value Added Tax to Sanitary Pads was aimed at facilitating access to this important and affordable product for the protection of women and girls, particularly children in schools and rural areas.
Speaking to the Guardian reporter yesterday Afya Plus Director Suzan Yumbe, a local non-governmental based Iringa for WASH activities, nutrition and women empowerment said that most of girls and women comes from low and middle income families.
She said that the removing of VAT on sanitary pads with make the products to be accessible to girls and women at an affordable price, hence girls put themselves in hygienic condition and stay in school instead of missing studies every day.
The abolition of the tax was announced at the parliament on June 14, 2018 by the Minister of Finance and Planning, Philip Mpango, as he read the Government Budget of 2018/19.
“It is the Government's expectation that producers and sellers of female towels will be sold cheaper after the removing of this tax,” she said.
Yumbe said that menstrual hygiene means to have good environmental sanitation, clean water as well as specific clothing-changing rooms for girls while in menstruation.
She said that the organization has since begun to provide menstrual education to over 600 girls for in various schools in the municipality and elsewhere.
“A local non-governmental Afya Plus based Iringa has donated more than 650 sanitary towels to the school girls in various schools in Iringa Municipal, Iringa region,” she elaborated.
Yumbe said that this year's celebration is in line with the slogan 'There are no more obstacles to women and girls getting safe menstrual', so the organization has a strategy to enable girls to get special sanitary pads that can be reuse them safely and will enable the girls to attend lessons.
The government in collaboration other stakeholders is making sure they empower girls and women to fulfill their dreams in their lives by coping with various challenges that hinder them from attending school during menstrual period.
The 'Menstrual Hygiene Day 2018' event fall on May 28 and the event associate panel discussion on menstruation and the taboo around it.
"The challenges facing girls during menstrual periods should be extensively discussed with an objective of seeking long-lasting solution to the prevailing menstrual-related problems,” She said, adding that parents and guardians should see the importance of setting aside fund to foot expenses for needs during menstrual time.
Yumbe noted that effective menstrual hygiene is vital to the health, well-being, dignity, empowerment, mobility and productivity of women and girls. Poor menstrual hygiene may cause stigma and ill health, and can lead to school absenteeism and increased school drop-out rates.
She said that menstruation is a taboo subject across the world, which can lead to misinformation and the promotion of dangerous menstrual hygiene practices.
The issue of menstrual hygiene has been neglected and there is reluctance even within the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector to talk openly about this important subject.
However, menstrual hygiene is gaining growing attention as a crucial aspect to achieving improved child health, education retention and gender equality.
Menstruation is a natural process; however, if not properly managed it can result in health problems. The impact of poor menstrual hygiene on the psycho-social wellbeing of women and girls (eg. stress levels, fear and embarrassment, and social exclusion during menstruation) should also be considered, this is according some media reports.
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