About 800 students in the Kumasi Metropolis yesterday benefitted from the benevolence of the Chief of Staff, Mrs. Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, to mark the International Menstrual Hygiene Day.
The beneficiary students were drawn from seven Junior High Schools in the Bantama Circuit of the Ghana Education Service (GES).
The benefactor presented 2,400 packets (100 boxes) of Softcare sanitary pads through the Asantehemaa, Nana Konadu Yiadom III, who was represented by Nana Afia Kyeiwaa, the Bantama Race Course market queen.
The occasion was the commemoration of this year’s International Menstrual Hygiene Day organised by the Ghana Education Service and jointly sponsored by Live the Dream Foundation, an NGO, Ministry of Water and Sanitation, Kumasi Metro Social Welfare Department, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly and Regional Girls and SHEP Unit.
The theme for this year’s Menstrual Hygiene Day is: “Together for a Period Friendly World”.
On behalf of Mrs. Osei-Opare, Nana Kyeiwaa called on governments, non-governmental organisations, corporate entities and millions of individuals to help support women and girls to have access to quality menstrual products, period education and period-friendly toilets.
She called for increased awareness creation and action towards creating a change in the lives of young women, especially the girl-child, stressing that it is incumbent on all stakeholders to help change the social and economic inequalities facing young women because they menstruate.
The donor emphasised that menstruation is natural and normal and that the girl-child must be encouraged to disabuse her mind of menstruation as a taboo, and work to reach their full potential as women.
The Chief of Staff further pledged continuous commitment and support towards championing menstrual health and hygiene among the girl-child in schools and warned against teenage pregnancy among school girls.
The sanitary pads were received on behalf of the Kumasi Metro Education Directorate by Madam Joana Quarshie of the GES. She commended the Chief of Staff for the gesture and her motherly care for the young girls.
Live the Dream Foundation (LTD Foundation) also presented a number of sanitary pads to the students.
The Executive Director, Miss Abigail Sarfo, called for support from the general public to deliver on its mandate in creating awareness and educating women on the need to disabuse their minds about taboo and stigma surrounding menstruation.
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