The Kokrobite chapter of the Ghana Girl Guides Association (GGGA) is advocating for an increase in access to menstrual products for girls in schools across the country to help promote menstrual hygiene among them.
Leader of the volunteering group, Madam Paulyn Apprey said educating young girls on the dangers of not practicing menstrual hygiene alone was not enough as many girls resort to the use of unhygienic materials during their menstrual cycles, which increases their risks of contracting infections.
She made the call over the weekend at an event to commemorate the world menstrual hygiene day at the Sunbeam Foundation School at Kokrobite in the Ga South Municipality of the Greater Accra Region, organized by her outfit.
More than 200 schoolgirls from selected schools within the area were in attendance.
According to Madam Apprey, it was very necessary for measures to be put in place at all cost, to ensure girls do not skip school because they cannot not afford sanitary products for use during their menstrual cycles.
"Imagine girls missing classes four or five days each month all because they cannot afford to get themselves sanitary pads? This, if not checked will greatly affect their academic performance."
"There are many young girls from disadvantaged backgrounds so supporting such children with free sanitary pads each month will go along way to boost their confidence and make them feel comfortable coming to school, no matter the time of the month," she stressed.
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To this end, she revealed that her outfit embarked on a project to provide Emergency Prepared Packs (EPP) containing sanitary pads, tissues and hand sanitisers for distribution to some school purposely to be given to girls on their periods each month at no cost.
The initiative, she said had increased the enrollment of girls in the schools where such sanitary products had been made available, adding that punctuality of girls in the schools had also improved significantly.
Madam Apprey therefore called on benevolent individuals and institutions to support the good cause "to ensure our girls do not miss school just because they cannot afford sanitary pad."
A senior health educator at the public health unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), Madam Eunice Nyankahsaid making girls familiar with menstrual hygiene practices was very necessary because proper hygiene practice during menstruation helps prevent bacteria growth, urinary tract infections and other reproductive health issues.
Explaining, she noted that educating girls about menstrual hygiene makes them understand how to take good care of themselves during their menstrual cycles and avoid potential health risks.
She also indicated that menstrual hygiene education goes a long way in boosting confidence of girls, as menstruation in some jurisdictions, is accompanied by feeling of shame and low self-esteem.
She also called on government to as a matter of urgency scrap taxes on menstrual products to make them affordable.
