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Tanzania’s new menstrual hygiene guidelines bring hope for schoolgirls
What you need to know:
- Providing each girl with a monthly Sh2,000 pack of sanitary pads would cost the government approximately Sh37.8 billion annually—an amount that could be factored into the Ministry of Education’s budget.
Dodoma. The government has unveiled the 2025 National Guidelines on Menstrual Health and Hygiene, mandating the establishment of private spaces in schools and public areas to enable girls and women to manage menstruation with dignity.
The guidelines also direct government funding for sanitary pads in schools.
The move comes eight years after campaigns began advocating for value-added tax (VAT) removal on sanitary pads and urging local governments to prioritise menstrual health in their budgets.
Although VAT on sanitary pads was scrapped in 2018 to make them more affordable, the exemption was reversed a year later amid claims that traders failed to lower prices.
The new guidelines, launched on May 28, 2025, respond to long-standing calls from menstrual health advocates, who emphasised the need for a formal implementation framework.
The guidelines require primary and secondary schools, and public facilities such as markets, bus terminals, and government offices, to establish safe and private spaces for menstruation management.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister for Health, the ministry’s acting director of Prevention, Dr Otilia Gowele, said menstruation continues to be misunderstood, with some perceiving it as a curse rather than a natural biological process.
“These guidelines aim to eliminate harmful myths, promote accurate information, and address practical challenges such as the lack of safe, private toilets for girls in schools,” she said.
Dr Gowele noted that schools with outdated toilets would receive a framework for upgrading facilities to include menstrual hygiene spaces.
The Health Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Seif Shekalaghe, said around 15 million girls and women in Tanzania are of menstruating age.
He underscored the need for accurate information, proper hygiene services, quality menstrual materials, and supportive environments in schools, workplaces, and public spaces.
The price of sanitary pads has increased significantly—from Sh1,500 in 2017 to between Sh2,000 and Sh3,500 in 2025.
“This means girls may spend Sh6,000 to Sh9,000 monthly to manage menstruation, following medical recommendations,” he said.
An analysis of 2022 Basic Education Statistics (BEST) data reveals that over 413,000 primary school girls aged 13 and above, and over 1.47 million secondary school girls, are likely to require menstrual support.
Providing each girl with a monthly Sh2,000 pack of sanitary pads would cost the government approximately Sh37.8 billion annually—an amount that could be factored into the Ministry of Education’s budget.
Menstrual health stakeholders have welcomed the guidelines as a major milestone, with the Msichana Initiative Director, Ms Rebeca Gyumi, saying the guidelines demonstrate growing recognition of menstrual health as a human rights issue.
“To ensure implementation, pads should be classified as essential products and exempt from all taxes. A targeted school distribution programme is also vital,” she said.
AfyaPlus founder and executive director, Ms Susan Yumbe, proposed that pads be treated like medicine and included in health insurance schemes.
Ms Rose Kapama from Days for Girls and Hyasintha Ntuyeko of Glory pads called for licensing and regulatory fees reforms, which currently drive up prices, limiting access for low-income families.
