01 Aug 2017

Specially Elected Member of Parliament, Ms Bonolo Kenewendo has pleaded with government to reduce or abolish tax on sanitary pads and tampons.

Commenting on a motion tabled by the Member of Parliament for Nata/Gweta, Mr Polson Majaga which called for government to consider providing sanitary pads to all schools, Ms Kenewendo said government should not only provide sanitary pads to schools, but should also consider to drop tax on sanitary pads.

She said women’s menstrual cycles were not by choice or desire, and that it was unfair for women to be taxed for 12 months a year, for about 39 years on a process they had no control over.

Ms Kenewendo argued that government needed to take a bold step to make sanitary pads tax free, as it was an essential item which was a necessity for every woman.

She said a 100 per cent tax exemption on sanitary pads would make the product easy, available and accessible to women. She added that it would also restore the dignity to women as they would be a position to afford quality sanitary products and tampons.

Making sanitary pads affordable, she said, was bound to have an impact on the attendance of school by girls.

She said the affordability and easy accessibility of sanitary pads would also address issues related to poverty in the long-term as more girl students would be a position to confidently attend school and be empowered through education which would eventually uplift them from the hardships of live.

Ms Kenewendo noted that women were in most families’ bread winners, and that affordable tax free sanitary pads would translate to more food on the table as compared to the current situation where women had to dig deep in their coffers to buy sanitary pads.

She further emphasised the need for menstrual hygiene, adding that current high sanitary pad prices which were tax influenced placed many women’s health in jeopardy since they at times they had to use not so medically approved materials during their menstrual periods. ENDS