Some girls have reportedly had to share the same piece of cloth with their mothers to stem menstrual flows as they cannot afford proper pads.
THE Government has noted that the price of sanitary wear has shot beyond the reach of many women who have resorted to using unhygienic materials exposing them to various diseases but only emphasised on the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) waiving customs duty on imports of the feminine product instead of considering calls for these to be distributed for free especially to young school girls.
In a statement , ZIMRA said: “There is no customs duty on the importation of sanitary wear for women. The price of sanitary wear in Zimbabwe shot up beyond the reach of many women facing them to use unhygienic materials that expose them to infections and other health-related problems.
“In response to the plight of women, the Government scrapped duty and Value Added Tax (VAT) on sanitary wear to make it available and to promote hygiene for women. Statutory Instrument 264 of 2018 provides for a suspension of duty on sanitary wear for women for imports done during the period December 1 2018 to November 30,2019.
“This means that no customs duty will be charged on importation of sanitary wear. In addition, the sanitary wear is exempted from paying import VAT, meaning that VAT is not charged in terms of Statutory Instrument 265 of 2018.
“Examples of sanitary wear covered under this exemption include products like sanitary towels and tampons. It should be noted that any products that is sanitary wear of any other chapter than 96 will attract the applicable duty,” read the statement.
In Zimbabwe, about 72 percent of menstruating rural primary school girls do not use sanitary pads.
Some girls have reportedly had to share the same piece of cloth with their mothers to stem menstrual flows as they cannot afford proper pads.
This has seen most girls missing school or using unhygienic material exposing themselves to urinary tract infections, rashes and bacterial build-ups.
Sanitary wear products will benefit from a suspension of customs duty, and an exemption from VAT for a period of 12 months.
While the move by government can be applauded women rights activists have continuously called on government to make the wear available for free from a lower level at primary education, because this is where girls start to be excluded as some miss school every month for the mere reason that they are girls.
A lot of girls miss school for a number of days each month when they menstruate, due to period poverty.
A study conducted in 2014 (when inflation averaged -0.2% that year) established that 72% of menstruating school girls did not use sanitary pads, while 62% of them missed school due to lack of sanitary wear.
How about now when inflation has risen to an all time dollarisation high of 20,85% with black market premiums for acquiring foreign currency as high as 250%? This can only point to worsening period poverty levels in Zimbabwe, much to the compromise of the health of disadvantaged girls and women.
While welcome the proposal by Treasury to suspend customs duty and VAT on imported sanitary wear for 12-months, many retailers who import stock are selling their ware in RTGS, and have to buy foreign currency each time they import.
Their ability to stock depends on foreign currency availability and many retailers have been complaining of inadequate foreign currency allocations, with some having to resort to the black market where usurious premiums are charged. In the rural areas, about 44 percent of rural shops do not sell any sanitary products at all.
While Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube said the scrapping of duty and VAT on sanitary wear was “in order to cushion underpriviledged women and girls”, it should be noted that the underpriviledged are those who do not have any income at all to buy sanitary wear.
The underpriviledged are homeless girls and women, female prisoners, the disabled and rural girls who often miss school due to lack of sanitary pads, pain relievers and other sanitary needs. Therefore, none of the measures announced by the Minister will actually cushion the underpriviledged as they will still be unable to access sanitary wear.
Sanitary pads remain a luxury to the underprivileged, the majority of whom can barely afford a decent meal. Access of sanitary wear by the underprivileged can only happen when costs are totally removed out of the picture.
To help picture the context, imagine a 15-year-old girl who sleeps in Harare Gardens and survives on food from the bins.
She menstruates six days every month and she uses dirty rags that she picks from the bins. She experiences painful stomach cramps and has no pain relievers. To escape the period pain, she sniffs glue to intoxicate herself and she starts having hallucinations. Now she is addicted and is always sniffing glue.
In light of the above, women rights activists have been calling on government to ensure that there is a fund in place to distribute free sanitary wear and pain relievers to the underpriviledged.
It is discriminatory for government to only pronounce measures trying to address the issues of those who can afford while remaining quiet about the issue of providing free sanitary wear to the disadvantaged who cannot afford and are vulnerable to health consequenses of using unsafe means such as dirty rags, newspapers, socks and other unhygienic means. Human development and gender equality cannot be achieved if underprivileged girls and women are left behind for the mere reason that they do not afford.
The removal of duty and VAT on sanitary wear, while it is a step in the right direction, must therefore not be viewed as an end in itself, but just a means to an end as more still need to be done.