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0 Menstrual hygiene is a critical issue that affects millions of women and girls worldwide. For far too long, governments have been slow to address this issue.
Despite aspirations to improve the lives of girls, policies often fall short, and the topic continues to be shrouded in stigma and neglect.
As outlined in the 2025 fiscal budget by Finance Minister Dr. Ato Forson, the government plans to allocate GH₵ 292.4 million (approximately USD 18.9 million) to distribute free sanitary pads to female students in primary and secondary schools.
While the intention is commendable, the approach lacks policy creativity and fails to address the root causes of the issue. Menstrual hygiene is a multifaceted problem, encompassing cultural, biological, and economic aspects. Tackling the economic side by making sanitary products accessible and affordable is a more viable solution.
On the surface, providing free sanitary pads to girls in schools may appear to be a straightforward solution to promoting menstrual hygiene.
However, this approach has several limitations. Firstly, it is a short-term fix that does not address the underlying issues of affordability and accessibility. Many girls and women in Ghana cannot afford sanitary pads, and relying on government handouts is neither a reliable nor sustainable solution.
Secondly, this approach fosters a culture of dependency, where girls and women rely on external aid rather than taking ownership of their menstrual health. This does not present a strong image of women’s empowerment.
The GH₵ 292.4 million allocated from taxpayers’ money could be better invested in the private sector to establish local production of menstrual products, thereby creating jobs and stimulating economic growth.
This way, we would ensure a steady supply of affordable sanitary products, promoting both menstrual health and hygiene. Local manufacturing of sanitary pads and other menstrual products could generate indigenous, sustainable jobs that the government could proudly support.
Small and medium-scale businesses in the household and personal care sector should also be encouraged, through incentives, to increase their production capacity to meet market demands.
Will the government be bold enough to scrap taxes and end period poverty?
Sanitary pads are taxed in Ghana. With over seven different taxes, including a 1% withholding tax, a 20% import duty, 15% income tax for manufacturers, wholesale and retail taxes, and a 12.5% VAT, these products become unaffordable for low-income women and girls.
A sanitary pad can cost between GHC 17 and GH₵ 40, depending on the brand and its quality.
A young woman would need at least GH₵ 250 (USD 17.00) to get through a typical menstrual cycle. Recently, the MKV Social and Well-being Committee, a community group affiliated with Newmont Ghana, distributed six months’ worth of sanitary products to over 2,300 girls in rural communities in the Ahafo region.
This intervention was prompted by disturbing reports from teachers and students about the adverse effects of poor menstrual hygiene on education in the region. The group spent GH₵ 300,000 on the distribution, which translated to GH₵ 20 per girl for six months.
Exempting sanitary products from taxation would make them more affordable and accessible, thus promoting menstrual health and hygiene. The current status quo fails to recognise sanitary products as essential, treating them instead as luxury items for many young women.
In addition to local production and tax exemption, another innovative solution would be the creation of a “Pad Bank.” This concept involves establishing a temporary “bank” to collect and distribute reusable sanitary pads to girls in primary and secondary schools.
The Pad Bank would be stocked with reusable pads, which would be distributed through district education and health offices.
This initiative could be independently driven by the Vice President’s office or the Gender Ministry, where either of these bodies would purchase reasonable quantities of pads and deposit them at the “bank” for distribution.
The government, ordinary Ghanaians, religious bodies, chiefs, NGOs, and private enterprises could also voluntarily contribute pads for distribution.
The Pad Bank approach would not only provide girls with access to sanitary products but would also help dissolve stereotypes and stigma surrounding menstrual health. It would promote sustainability and environmental responsibility.
While the decision to distribute free sanitary pads is a fulfilment of a campaign promise by President John Mahama and the New Democratic Congress (NDC), the “freebie” approach risks undermining a larger promise: restoring or resetting the ailing economy. This may lead to wasteful spending and potential scandals.
The Pad Bank initiative is not a new concept. In 2024, the Institute for Liberty and Policy Innovation (ILAPI), in collaboration with World Vision Ghana, conceived the idea to address menstrual hygiene among girls in rural areas. This initiative demonstrates the potential of community-led solutions to tackle menstrual hygiene effectively.
The author, Ebenezer De-Gaulle is a freelance media practitioner and researcher at the Institute for Liberty and Policy Innovation.
