The Rwandan government has scrapped a tax on sanitary pads to make them more affordable.
Moving to the right direction,from now onwards, the Government of Rwanda has added Sanitary Pads to a list of goods that are VAT exempted in a bid to ease their affordability.@RwandaFinance, @rrainfo@RwandaLocalGov@RwandaHealth,@rbarwanda,@NewTimesRwanda,@IGIHE,@ktpressrwanda
— Ministry of Gender & Family Promotion | Rwanda (@RwandaGender) December 10, 2019
Previously, an 18% value-added tax was placed on the pads.
Consumers are yet to see if the move will reduce the price of sanitary pads in the shops.
A pack of ten pads currently sells for around 1,000 Rwandan Francs ($1.07; £0.81).
Activists say that this cost has made them out of reach for some, which has had a big impact on their lives.
“For many girls and women, especially in rural areas, the cost of the pads is too high. Many still rely on reusable cloth pads” women’s activist Saidath Murorunkwere said.
She added that this is risky because women are more likely to get infections.
Girls in poor families are known to miss school when they are on their periods because they can’t afford the pads, Aline Berabose, a Rwandan reproductive health activist, told the BBC.
