Taxing menstrual products is like taxing a school going girl for being a girl. Maboshe Memorial Centre – MMC has been lobbying from the Zambian Government since 2012 for menstrual hygiene management policy on the distribution of free sanitary towels to school going girls who can’t afford to buy pads in all public schools mostly in rural public schools not for them to stay at home instead of going to school due to lack of menstrual hygiene management facility tools in rural public schools.
Since 2019, the Zambian parliament has unanimously adopted a motion for the free distribution of sanitary towels in rural schools, although the motion is not law, it means the government must provide funds for the distribution of sanitary pads in future budgets.
The motion comes after Zambian parliament scrapped taxes on sanitary products in a bid to make them more affordable. Zambia’s government has decided to provide sanitary towels to girls enrolled in rural public schools, to encourage more students to come to class.
The move comes after girl child organizations and Maboshe Memorial Centre – MMC who carried out a survey study on PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE MENSTRUAL HYGIENE MANAGEMENT (MHM) AND SANITATION FOR SCHOOL GOING GIRLS IN RURAL SCHOOLS IN 2019 observed that most menstrual products are expensive and pupils in rural areas cannot afford to buy them where many girls in rural public schools have resorted to use cow dung, which makes into a flat shape and hang it out on the sun to dry and others also use cow dung which is made into a powder after dried in the sun. They make several pieces of them so that they can be able to use them for about three (3) months. When they are on their period, they take the dried cow dung and place it on their inner wear and put some pieces of cloth on top of the dried dung. They said that the dung acts as a sponge and absorbs the blood when it passes through the cloth.
The survey study urged the Ministry of Finance to consider removing customs duty and value-added tax on menstrual products and also consider national budgets allocation for the distribution of sanitary pads in rural public schools and questioned why poor female students are not entitled to free sanitary pads when condoms are distributed free of charge.
It was disheartening that colossal sums of money were being embezzled as revealed by the Auditor-General's Report while female school learners suffer menstrual poverty with little attention and resources accorded to their plight.
The promulgation of Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) legislation will be in line with meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which support: -
Goal No. 3, which is aimed at ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all ages;
Goal No. 4, which is aimed at ensuring inclusive and quality education for all and promote life-long learning;
Goal No. 5, which seeks to achieve gender-equality and empower all women and girls;
Goal No. 6, which is aimed at ensuring availability and sustainability of water and sanitation for all; and
Goal No. 8, which is aimed at promoting sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full productive employment and decent work for all.
WALKING CAMPAIGN ON ENACTING A LAW ON REUSABLE MENSTRUAL SANITARY TOWELS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS will kick off on the 28th May, 2022 at 09:30hrs walking from Lusaka Main Postal Office to the Ministry of Finance where the petition will be handed over to both the Minister of Finance and National Planning and Minister of General Education seeking for a government budget on free sanitary towels to girls including children with disabilities in public schools.
Zambian Government should acknowledge that Menstrual Hygiene Management is a key issue that affects performance and completion of girls in public schools mostly schools in rural areas with the following demands that: -
1. Lobbying for menstrual hygiene management policy on the distribution of free sanitary towels to school going girls who can’t afford to buy pads in all schools mostly in rural public schools that will ensure the provision of free sanitary towels and the policy should state that every girl in public schools should be given “free and quality sanitary products” as well as “a safe and environmental sound for disposal off” to all pupils including children with disabilities in public schools to uphold their right to human dignity respected and protected.
2. Government should set aside funds within the National budget within the Ministry of General Education to support sustainable menstrual hygiene management programs to every girl or child including children with disabilities registered in public schools.
3. Public schools should embark on providing MHM information within the comprehensive sex education framework for all pupils including children with disabilities in public schools.
4. Teacher Training Colleges should incorporate menstrual hygiene management in addition to sex education in their training to equip the teachers with skills to support all pupils including children with disabilities in public schools.
5. Amendment of the Zambia Education Act should be done in order to:
Provide free and quality sanitary towels to every girl/child who can’t afford to buy pads registered and enrolled in a public government-aided.
Incorporate menstrual hygiene management into the Parents and Teachers’ Association and School Management Committee agenda for all pupils including children with disabilities in public schools.
Place emphasis on the provision of washrooms, pain killers, sanitary towels and changing rooms for for all pupils including children with disabilities in public schools.
Place emphasis on menstrual counselling and support for all pupils including children with disabilities in public schools through the role of the senior female teachers.
6. Remove customs duty and value-added tax charged on menstrual products in order to make them more affordable for the female citizenry.
7. Provision of tax incentives to any investor wishing to manufacture sanitary products in Zambia so as to encourage investment in this area and help lower the cost of the final product to the womenfolk
8. Government should establish National MHM Steering Committee that will be responsible for effective co-ordination of MHM policies and programmes. This Committee will comprise the Ministries of Health, General Education, Water Development and Sanitation, Community Development and Social Services, Youth, Sport and Arts, Local Government and Rural Development, Finance and National Planning, Commerce, Trade and Industry, Community Development and Social Services, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, and Non State Actors, to improve the personal hygiene and health of girls through the availability of sustainable and affordable sanitary protection, remove barriers to education so that girls can go to school and improve incomes of young women through the sale of affordable sanitary pad kits
No Zambian school going girl should miss or drop out of school due to a lack of access to sanitary pads, there is need for concerted efforts by all stakeholders, especially legislators or lawmakers, Non-Governmental Organizations, Civil Society, Traditional & Religious Leaders, Community Based Organizations, Faith Based Organizations and the General Public to join efforts to find a lasting solution to menstrual poverty which has affected many female school learners in rural public schools.
The petition is part of a partnership between Maboshe Memorial Centre – MMC and girls in rural public schools who can’t afford to buy sanitary pads.
Issued by the Maboshe Memorial Centre (MMC) Media Team.
WhatsApp #: +260975077808
Airtel Cell #: +260979997382
Airtel Cell #: +260975077808
MTN Cell #: +260768258443
Zamtel Cell #: +260954707760
Email: mmcmonguheadoffice@ymail.com or mmcoffice8@gmail.com
Website: - https://mmc695.webnode.com
Facebook page: - http://www.facebook.com/maboshememorialc
Twitter: -https://twitter.com/mmc_office
Comments
Post a Comment