WINDHOEK, Namibia  ̶  The Namibian Deputy Minister of Information and Communication Technology and National Assembly-member, Hon. Emma Theofilus participated in the African Coalition for Menstrual Health’s Annual Symposium, an event organised by the African Coalition on Menstrual Health Management (ACMHM) with UNFPA.

The symposium, which took place virtually between 25 and 27 May 2021, featured panels and speakers from across the African continent. Its goal was to take stock of menstrual health-related progress, lessons learned, best practices as well as the integration of menstrual health in sexual and reproductive health and rights policies and programmes.

The symposium also defined the next steps towards fully realising the 2018 symposium’s Call to Action, by looking at sustainable financing and innovative solutions.

Deputy Minister Theofilus’ panel focused on how innovation and sustainable financing can accelerate the scale-up of high-impact practices for Menstrual Health. Theofilus discussed Namibia’s recent successful effort to eliminate the tax on menstrual products, more commonly referred to as a “tampon tax.”

"The role of the government, through the example I gave of Namibia, is to create a conducive environment policy-wise and lawmaking-wise to ensure young women and girls have access to hygiene products,” she explained.

The deputy minister also discussed ways that the government can help end menstrual health disparities including creating an environment that ensures access to places where sanitary provisions are included in either health care packs (whether in schools or health care facilities).

In addition, she stressed the importance of adapting national standards for menstrual products so that countries can let everyone who menstruates have the ability to access these products regardless of cost and to ensure they use them in a sustainable as well as a healthy manner.

"Because of the innovation going on and because of the various levels of need that we have across our continent and the world, there are those of course adapting materials to have sanitary pads for example that can be reusable,” she stated

“Government's role...is to create an enabling environment for innovators to innovate, for taxation to happen, for finance exemptions to exist, but more importantly access to the end-user to be a priority as well,” Deputy Minister Theofilus concluded.

The symposium adopted A Renewed Call to Action to strengthen commitments to respond effectively to the menstrual health needs of women, girls and all people who menstruate throughout the reproductive life cycle, and to leave no one behind.