Why do women spend so much on sanitary protection?

“It’s becoming a luxury now to purchase a pad.”

Women in Ghana protested outside the parliament building in Accra in June chanting for ‘tax free periods’. It followed a rise in taxes on sanitary pads. And now, a BBC survey has found that of all women on the continent, Ghanaian women on low incomes have to spend the biggest proportion of their wages on even the cheapest sanitary protection – a staggering 13%.

Because of the cost, many women and girls in Africa will use makeshift protection, including rags, corn leaves and even dried cow dung.

And while campaigners in Kenya and South Africa have succeeded in driving down the cost – some say it’s not enough, and that women should be given access to free sanitary products.

For Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja sits down to discuss the issues with three campaigners from South Africa, Nigeria and Zimbabwe. Presenter: @kasujja Guests: @Nokuzola_SA, @anittanesh and @faleyeibrahim

For more on the BBC report on the cost of sanitary ware see: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-66423981