More than 700 girls in Obuasi have received sanitary pads as part of efforts to improve menstrual hygiene.
Big Peiro Company Limited, a tailing construction firm, collaborated with No Limits Charity Organisation, an NGO to donate 2,500 pads to mark this year’s World Menstrual Hygiene Day on the theme ‘Together for a Period Friendly World’.
Menstrual health is a fundamental aspect of human rights, dignity, and public health.
Menstrual Hygiene Day, observed annually on May 28, is dedicated to breaking taboos and raising awareness about the importance of good menstrual hygiene management.
The sanitary pads are expected to bring relief to the school girls who mostly encounter difficulties in accessing the pads during menstruation due to the cost.
According to the Chief Executive of Big Peiro Company Limited, Peter Armah Kpolly, who spoke to the media after the donation, the decision to join in donating the pads stems from the ordeals girls especially those in school go through during periods of menstruation.
He said as an advocate for women empowerment, his company saw the need to collaborate with No limit foundation to support school girls with the sanitary pads.
“As a company, we recognise the enormity of the situation at hand, where some girls find it difficult to access sanitary pads during menstruation. This affects school attendance, results in stigmatization and leads to low self confidence. This is the reason why we intervened,” he said.
He appealed to government to consider supplying free sanitary pads in schools.
He said once government had demonstrated commitment to improve access to education through Free Senior High School, it can keep the girls in school by supplying free pads to girls.
The Chief Executive Officer of No Limits Charity Organisation, Rita Esionam Garglo, spoke on the challenges school girls go through during menstruation.
She said whiles access to sanitary pads is a major challenge, access to water in shared toilets for menstruating women and girls to wash themselves, their reusable menstrual products, their stained clothes, and sanitation infrastructure is a critical but all too-often neglected aspect of menstrual hygiene management.
She commended Big Peiro Company Limited for the collaboration, saying the donation signifies the commitment of groups and individuals to see girl and women experience safe and hygienic menstruation.
She also appealed to government to intervene by making sanitary pads easily accessible to school girls to enhance clean menstruation.
The beneficiaries shared their excitement over the donation.
Miss Judith Acquah, a student of Obuasi Senior High Technical School, commended the two institutions for supporting them with sanitary pads.
They expressed their frustration over the cost of sanitary parts hampering clean and safe menstruation. They appealed to government for support.
