Thousand Women Cries; Unending Call For Free Sanitary Pads

As women celebrated their day, the Minister for Gender, Labor and Social Development, Betty Amongi, reiterated the call for the provision of free sanitary pads and, or the removal of taxes on sanitary pads.  

The call for action from women activists and political actors has persisted for a long time, but no measures have been taken by the government.  

In a recent report by the Uganda Red Cross over 5 Million girls in Uganda miss out on school time over menstrual periods due to lack of sanitary pads.

Nearly a decade ago, hopes and joy were raised when President Museveni pledged to provide free sanitary pads to all school-going girls in Uganda.  

The call from the Minister to the government on March 8 in Kyakwanzi was a shock following her statement in Parliament on March 6, where she claimed that the government had officially backtracked on this commitment due to economic constraints.  

She said, “We reviewed the proposal for free sanitary pads in light of the current budget and found it unfeasible given the economic conditions. However, I will bring the topic of tax exemptions on sanitary products to Cabinet for discussion.”  

Other challenges she raised included access to technology and the internet for rural women, cultural norms that contribute to child marriages, and gender-based violence, which requires enhancing police capacity to investigate Gender Based Violence cases, as well as violence during elections.

The International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated every year on March 8. It recognizes the contributions of women to global development.  

The day offers a chance to strengthen advocacy for addressing women’s concerns.   The theme chosen for the national celebrations is: “Empowering Women through Innovative Approaches to Social Protection; a Pre-requisite for Inclusive and Sustainable Development.”

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