By Benjamin Makafui Attipoe, Agbakope
The Volta and Oti Regional Chairman of the Health Services Workers’ Union (HSWU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Mr Emmanuel Bruno Gator, has called on the government to as a matter of urgency, reduce the high taxes on sanitary pads, in order to make them more affordable for the average girl-child.
Mr Gator made the call at a Menstrual Hygiene Day symposium organized by the Women Committee of the Volta and Oti Regional Chapter of the HSWU at the St. Catherine Senior High School (SCASCO) at Agbakope in the South Tongu District of the Volta Region.
The symposium formed part of activities organized annually by members and the leadership of the Women Committee of the HSWU in the two (2) regions.
The selection of SCASCO this year for the event, was based on the school’s status as a female second cycle institution, which currently has a female enrolment figure of more than one thousand, two hundred (1,200) students.
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Executives of the Women Committee of the Union, took the students through the menstrual cycle and hygiene as well as its related issues and urged them to remain focused on their studies as future leaders of the country.
The Union also donated some quantities of sanitary pads to the school for distribution to some of the most needy students of the school.
Speaking to our newsteam in an interview after the event, Regional Chairman of the Union for Volta and Oti Regions, Mr Emmanuel Bruno Gator, stressed the need for government to reduce the exhorbitant taxes on sanitary pads to make them more affordable for these young girls who menstruate on monthly basis through no fault of theirs.
He was of the view that reducing these taxes on sanitary pads would prevent the girls from being lured by boys and men into indulging in sexual and other acts that could make them easily pregnant due to the prevailing poverty situation particularly in the rural areas.
The Volta and Oti Regional Chairperson of the Women Committee of the Union, Ms. Mabel Duvor, touching on the essence of the event, advised the students to seek medical attention anytime they observe any irregularity or abnormality with their menses or menstrual cycle. Ms. Duvor assured the students that their development into proper adulthood is their concern and that they should focus on their studies in order to achieve their goals and vision in life.
The Assistant Headmistress, Welfare, of the school, Ms. Emelia Emefa Affrim, was grateful to the Union for the gesture including the sharing of the menstrual hygiene information with the students.
According to her, the purchase of sanitary pads continues to be a big problem for a lot of the students because of the cost involved. Madam Affrim hoped that the Union would make their visit a regular one so as to further impact the life of the students.
