The Girl Child Hygiene has distributed more than 300 pieces of sanitary pads to girls in schools in the rural part of the Greater Region; Agorteman M/A JHS, Obom-Kojoman D/A School and Christ Star School, Agblizaa as part of measures to curb the menace of sex for pads in society across Ghana.
The aim of the project which was held in December is to help contribute to the achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 3, 4 and 5. As part of activities to achieve this goal, the Girl Child Hygiene visited three schools in the rural areas of the Greater Accra region to donate the pads to young girls between the ages of 12 to 18 at the Junior High School level.
Addressing the gathering, Special Guest and Director of Aspire Today, Etornam Sey, encouraged the young girls to be understand why it is important for them to place value on themselves and not having to sleep with men for money just to buy pads.
She said many of the girls had stopped attending school due to the negative social norms surrounding menstrual hygiene management. This has deprived the girl child of her right to education and called on the general public to be circumspect on how they address menstrual issues.
“Having your period is not a crime and we must not allow ourselves to be swindled into believing its a crime. We need to support the girls and we need to understand that it is not their fault to have their periods. People have sex because it is their choice but as a woman you don’t have a choice when it comes to your period, it will come whether we like it or not,” she said.
She also called on government to consider scrapping the huge tax rate on sanitary pads in the country and bemoaned that, young girls are unable to buy pads in recent times due to the high rate at which it is being sold on the market.
“The 45% tax rate on sanitary pad alone is really bad and this is compelling the young girls to take certain decisions like having sex with men just to raise some money to buy pads, I think this is so wrong and the ordeal of most of these girls in society is very heartbreaking. It is happening and most girls are doing it but are shy to say it or even talk about it,” she indicated.
Supporting girls to manage their periods
Speaking on the ways by which the girl child could manage her periods, the General Manager of the Girl Child Hygiene Leticia Agyekum noted that, the goal of the product distribution was to assist females in meeting their menstrual cycle demands, particularly in rural areas where they couldn’t otherwise purchase sanitary pads.
In addition, she entreated the teachers and authorities to make it a point to educate the young girls and general public in order to end the taboo and silence around menstrual hygiene management and to reform harmful societal practises, particularly among boys and men.
Commending the works of the Girl Child Hygiene, Madam Gifty, a teacher in the school said the intervention of the organization is a step in the right direction, calling it extremely opportune.
Sanitary pads keep girls in school
Due to a scarcity of sanitary pads, several local girls had quit school and become pregnant in the society.
In addition, the unfavourable societal standards has prevented females from receiving an equal education and had an adverse effect on their health, safety, and sense of dignity.