Sanitary pads must not be taxed in Ghana – NUGS President

The President of the National Union of Ghana Students, NUGS, Dennis Appiah Larbi-Ampofo has expressed worry over taxes paid on sanitary pads in Ghana.

He made this known during the maiden edition of the “Girl Power Project” programme under the theme: “Girl Power, Unlocking Potentials” which took place at the weekend at UCC.

It was organized by NUGS in collaboration with NUGS-UCC Women’s Commissioner and McBrown’s Kitchen.

He notes that over the years, the prices of sanitary pads in Ghana have skyrocketed leaving the marginalized in society less privy to them hence, they resort to other means of curbing their monthly menstrual flow.

According to him, this is a natural phenomenon in women, which may be treacherous to their health.

Mr. Appiah, therefore, called on government to abolish taxes paid on sanitary pads in Ghana.

On her part, Namibia’s youngest elected parliamentarian Inna Koviao-Vetarere Hengari said taxes have been scrapped from the sales of sanitary pads in Namibia to enable every girl to access them with ease.

She also expressed her desire to make them free and accessible to all girls across her country.

Ms. Hengari further urged girls to change their mindsets toward filling and closing the skills gap in high-priority economic sectors.

The National Union of Ghana Students (NUG) organized the maiden edition of the “Girl Power Project” with a focus on equipping young girls to aspire to greater heights.

It brought together established women leaders to mentor younger women and help them prepare adequately for the future.

The speakers included Prof. Elsie Effah Kaufman, Quiz Mistress – National Science and Maths Quiz; Nana Ama McBrown, Actress; Hon. Inna Koviano Hengari, a Namibian Member of Parliament, and Dr. Stella Agyemang Duah, Research Scientist, Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute.

The speakers spoke on how girls could unlock potentials in them towards bridging the skills gap in high-priority economic sectors. Some key attributes mentioned included passion, patience, self-discovery, hard work, time consciousness, efficiency, mentorship, and conducting a SWOT analysis.

In an exclusive interview with ATL FM News, Miss Jessica Twumasi, NUGS Secretary for Women’s Development and the Local NUGS Women’s Commissioner, UCC, Miss GRACE MINTAA WADIEH stated that their expectations were met and the programme was a success due to the number of students present and the impact it had on them.