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Precious Manomano Herald Reporter
Gender activists have joined hands to advocate for the provision of affordable sanitary wear for women and girls.
ActionAid Programmes Director Mr Andrew Chikowore said many women and girls in Zimbabwe are resorting to unsafe methods such as the use of cloths, tree leaves or even cow dung during the period of their menstrual cycle posing hygiene and health challenges.
Mr Chikowore was speaking during the launch of the Tax and Menstrual Hygiene Management Tools organised by ActionAid Zimbabwe whilst commemorating the 16 Days against Gender Based Violence and International Human Rights Day celebrations on Friday.
“This is increasing high mortality rates in women and contributing to femicide. The high and unaffordable prices of menstrual hygiene kits and its management, as well as the failure to consider a cushioned tax regime achieved by lowering taxes of menstrual hygiene products, especially hygiene pads has meant that not all women and girls will afford them thus exacerbating inequality among women and girls,” he said.
Zimbabwe Gender Commission Chief Executive Officer Ms Virginia Muwanigwa said various countries including Zimbabwe have, removed taxes on various menstrual hygiene products through several exemptions ranging from (Value Added Tax) VAT, imports, and income taxes so as to reduce period poverty.
“The same exemptions have not been extended to local producers of menstrual hygiene management tools, making locally produced tools less competitive in the market,” she said.
Zimbabwe through promulgation of Statutory Instrument 265 of 2018 and Statutory 4 of 2020 progressively removed VAT and import tax on all menstrual hygiene products as an initiative to recognise the necessity of menstrual hygiene.
The government further pronounced the provision of menstrual hygiene tools in all rural schools beginning 2020 through funding from the national fiscus.
Online Reporter