To the President of the Republic of Ghana, the Chief of Staff, the Gender, Children and Social Protection Ministry, the Ghana Revenue Authority and all relevant govt institutions.
The Girls Excellence Movement is by this petition bringing to your notice injustice embedded in the 20% import tax levied on Sanitary Pads in Ghana under the HS Code 9619002900 of the Ghana Revenue Authority. Mr. President, this injustice has existed against women and girls for far too long. As a known human rights activist, we plead you put an end to it once and for all. We request a total removal of the levies on the importation of Pad because:Below is why:
1. Too many girls cannot afford or access sanitary pads, which means that when they get their menses, they have to turn to unhealthy alternatives like dirty rags, leaves, scrambled news paper pages, old socks, etc. In addition to the high risk of infections such girls are exposed to every time the have their menses, some have to avoid school --and the more school time they miss, the more obvious it becomes that they will fall too far behind in academics and eventually drop out entirely.
2. The 20% tax makes Sanitary pad an expensive commodity. Meanwhile buying sanitary Pad is not for luxury, but a NECESSITY in every girls life until menopause. It is therefore a grave injustice against girls to categorize Sanitary Pad as luxury goods in the GRA Guidelines and levy it accordingly whilst CONDOMS are exempted from all forms of taxes and distributed freely in most institutions. How do we exempt Sex which is choice from taxes and tax menstruation which a girl cannot avoid? Mr. President, is that fair to girls?
3. It is not by choice that girls bleed every month for days, it is natures own design, menstruation is the excretion of a bodily fluid just like urinating. We believe if urinating does not attract taxes and levies, menstruating shouldn't.
In conclusion, Mr. President, Menstrual flow which is also called PERIOD SHOULD END A STATEMENT AND NOT A GIRLS EDUCATION.
Updates
June 7, 2019
The petition has reached two hundred and fifty signatures. It is encouraging to see this level of interest in addressing the tax burden on essential sanitary products.
Reached 250 supporters
June 6, 2019
Reached 100 supporters
April 27, 2019
232 Comments
I didn't think I'd say this but why is condom cheaper than sanitary pads? You can choose to have unprotected sex but no female chooses not to see her period. Menstruation isn't a disease nor a luxury, stop making us pay for it like it's a punishment!!!!
I have gone through a lot with my youngest sister just to make sure they are pure, clean and not intimidated through no fault of theirs. Sanitary pads must be reduced drastically and tax free.
Mr President and the Parliament of the Republic act now and remove this unjust tax. There is absolutely NO reason other than immoral revenue raising for this tax to exist. You KNOW girls stay away from school in many areas simply because they cannot afford sanitary pads. Act now.
It is heart breaking to see or hear about young girls using rag when they are menstruating because their parent cannot afford it or indulge in sexual act just to have access to pad. Pls iam adding my voice to beg the government to remove the tax on the sanitary pad. Thanks
These items are a basic necessity of life deriving from the gender of a human being. It cannot be right that we impose a man made burden by taxation on something which is not man made but derives purely from nature.
It’s too inhumane to tax sanitary pads. Young girls should be given the room to glow. It’s a natural occurrence to menstruate. Scrap that inhumane tax.
There is nothing more embarassing for a young girl as the thought of her clothes being stained with her period... Yet most young girls have to pray and hope this not their fate as they manage to use rags and other unconventional materials during their period because they cannot afford the cost of sanitary pads. Periods are not by choice, take off the taxes on sanitary pads.
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To the President of the Republic of Ghana, the Chief of Staff, the Gender, Children and Social Protection Ministry, the Ghana Revenue Authority and all relevant govt institutions.
The Girls Excellence Movement is by this petition bringing to your notice injustice embedded in the 20% import tax levied on Sanitary Pads in Ghana under the HS Code 9619002900 of the Ghana Revenue Authority. Mr. President, this injustice has existed against women and girls for far too long. As a known human rights activist, we plead you put an end to it once and for all. We request a total removal of the levies on the importation of Pad because:Below is why:
1. Too many girls cannot afford or access sanitary pads, which means that when they get their menses, they have to turn to unhealthy alternatives like dirty rags, leaves, scrambled news paper pages, old socks, etc. In addition to the high risk of infections such girls are exposed to every time the have their menses, some have to avoid school --and the more school time they miss, the more obvious it becomes that they will fall too far behind in academics and eventually drop out entirely.
2. The 20% tax makes Sanitary pad an expensive commodity. Meanwhile buying sanitary Pad is not for luxury, but a NECESSITY in every girls life until menopause. It is therefore a grave injustice against girls to categorize Sanitary Pad as luxury goods in the GRA Guidelines and levy it accordingly whilst CONDOMS are exempted from all forms of taxes and distributed freely in most institutions. How do we exempt Sex which is choice from taxes and tax menstruation which a girl cannot avoid? Mr. President, is that fair to girls?
3. It is not by choice that girls bleed every month for days, it is natures own design, menstruation is the excretion of a bodily fluid just like urinating. We believe if urinating does not attract taxes and levies, menstruating shouldn't.
In conclusion, Mr. President, Menstrual flow which is also called PERIOD SHOULD END A STATEMENT AND NOT A GIRLS EDUCATION.
Updates
June 7, 2019
The petition has reached two hundred and fifty signatures. It is encouraging to see this level of interest in addressing the tax burden on essential sanitary products.
Reached 250 supporters
June 6, 2019
Reached 100 supporters
April 27, 2019
232 Comments
If Ghana can spend 15 million USD on the Black stars knowing clearly that the price on the trophy is 4 million USD, then we can equally remove the taxes on sanitary pads for our ladies.
I didn't think I'd say this but why is condom cheaper than sanitary pads? You can choose to have unprotected sex but no female chooses not to see her period. Menstruation isn't a disease nor a luxury, stop making us pay for it like it's a punishment!!!!
I have gone through a lot with my youngest sister just to make sure they are pure, clean and not intimidated through no fault of theirs. Sanitary pads must be reduced drastically and tax free.
Mr President and the Parliament of the Republic act now and remove this unjust tax. There is absolutely NO reason other than immoral revenue raising for this tax to exist. You KNOW girls stay away from school in many areas simply because they cannot afford sanitary pads. Act now.
It is heart breaking to see or hear about young girls using rag when they are menstruating because their parent cannot afford it or indulge in sexual act just to have access to pad. Pls iam adding my voice to beg the government to remove the tax on the sanitary pad. Thanks
These items are a basic necessity of life deriving from the gender of a human being. It cannot be right that we impose a man made burden by taxation on something which is not man made but derives purely from nature.
It’s too inhumane to tax sanitary pads. Young girls should be given the room to glow. It’s a natural occurrence to menstruate. Scrap that inhumane tax.
There is nothing more embarassing for a young girl as the thought of her clothes being stained with her period... Yet most young girls have to pray and hope this not their fate as they manage to use rags and other unconventional materials during their period because they cannot afford the cost of sanitary pads. Periods are not by choice, take off the taxes on sanitary pads.
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If Ghana can spend 15 million USD on the Black stars knowing clearly that the price on the trophy is 4 million USD, then we can equally remove the taxes on sanitary pads for our ladies.