Liberia: WaterAid Liberia Country Director Echoes Call For 10% Reduction on Sanitary Pads Tariff
MONROVIA – The Country Director of WaterAid Liberia, Chuchu K. Selma, has stressed the need for 10 percent reduction tariff on the import of sanitary pads in Liberia as a means of improving sexual reproduction health and rights for adolescent girls and young women.
He made the statement Wednesday after the Youth Champion for Menstrual Hygiene, a civil society organization, petitioned the House of Representatives to deduct 10 per cent tariff on sanitary pads to ensure all women and girls have access to sanitary pads.
By Francis G. Boayue
The Youth Champion for Menstrual Hygiene in its statement called on the Women’s Legislative Caucus and the Committee on Gender, Children and Social Protection to support the call for the removal of 10 %(GST) on all taxes on sanitary pads imported and manufactured in Liberia.
“By removing taxes on sanitary products, you are also reducing the cost of pads, making pads affordable, accessible, and available to women and girls. This means demonstrating the empowerment of women and girls to live, learn and lead healthier lives,” the statement added.
The WaterAid Country Director in an interview with FrontPage on Wednesday at a WaterAid conference entitled “Her-Wash Regional Youth Workshop advocacy meeting taking place in Liberia amongst youths from Liberia, Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone.
He said the conference, taking place in Liberia with youth from three countries Liberia, Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso, is intended to enlighten youth on menstrual hygiene and menstrual health management.
According to Selma, his organization has made effort on all fronts to educate young women and girls on the importance of menstrual hygiene as one of its missions to transform lives by improving hygiene and sanitation in the world’s poorest communities.