Taxes on sanitary pads repressive – Dzifa Gomashie

The Member of Parliament for Ketu South Constituency, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has described the imposition of taxes on sanitary pads as insensitive to girls and women.

Speaking on the Class Morning Show's edition of March 8th, 2023 with Korku Lumor on the occasion of International Women's Day, Abla Dzifa Gomashie indicated that women are beset with a lot of barriers, including the biological process of menstruation.

According to her, the imposition of taxes on their basic need such as sanitary pads is repressive to their growth.

“Policies and societal, cultural inhibitions, cow many women from achieving their full potential.

“Women are beset by varied barriers, including biological ones such as menstruation. For a country to impose a tax on a basic female need as sanitary pad, is repressive,” she stated.

The Ketu South legislator also called on Ghanaians to eschew socio-cultural practices which prevent women from achieving their full potential and described same as backward.

“Women are themselves victims to society's inhibitions because they've been conditioned to play roles assigned to them by these same societies.

“The woman by biology is supposed to conceive and bring forth the child. The debate of mothers taking care of their children solely is wrong. It takes two people to bring forth a child and, so, the two must be responsible for the upbringing of the children.

“Why can't the man drop off the children at school? The woman must be given room to pursue her dreams,” she stressed.

A surgeon, Dr. Grace Ayensu, speaking on the same show bemoaned how the environment and cultural practices, alienate women’s rights from the onset.

“The girl-child is culturally and environmentally inhibited right from the home, and this eventually finds expression in policies.

“Women in Ghana are disadvantaged even before they begin the journey of life, particularly, in education.

“Socio-cultural practices inhibit women in every way. No matter what a woman's achievements, it is always attributed to a man,” she stated.

On the way forward regarding how Ghana can work towards ensuring equity as far as opportunities for women's growth are concerned, the women achievers called for more advocacy, investment in STEM education and provision of role models, to mentor and empower girls and women to reach their potential.

International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day that celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.

The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality.