A group of protesters attempted to storm Ghana’s parliament on Thursday as they demanded the removal of taxes on sanitary pads.
Security officers stopped the protesters, who were clad in red and holding placards, and made them to gather at the entrance of parliament.
They were chanting “we want free periods, don’t tax my pad” and their presence disrupted parliamentary activity for a while.
The group said the government should remove the 20% import tax and 12.5% Value Added Tax on sanitary pads which have made them too expensive for many people.
The high cost of sanitary pads, according to the campaigners, is causing absenteeism among girls in school and hygiene issues for the rural poor.
However, the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) has warned the government not to scrap the import taxes.
It cautions that removing the taxes on imported pads would make it harder for local manufacturers to compete.
The Ghana Revenue Authority says menstrual hygiene products are classified as finished goods and so are subject to import tax.