By Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
World Vision Ghana (WVG) a Christian non-profit organization focused on the well-being of all people, especially children, has donated boxes of sanitary pads worth thousands of Cedis to some selected educational institutions across the country including the Accra Technical University (ATU).
The other beneficiary institutions are; Effutu MA Basic School, Cape Cost, Dawhenya Methodist B Basic School, Damongo Girls Model School, Silicon International School, Ofankor, and Excellent Foundation Institute, Amasaman. Kaneshie Weat “1” Basic School, and Barack Obama Basic School, located at Laterbiokorshie.
Receiving the donation on behalf of Accra Technical University, the Women’s Commissioner for Medical Laboratory Science Students Association, Ms. Abigail Eshun thanked the management of WVG for their kind gesture.
According to her, the donation will go a long way to help most underprivileged female students to effectively and efficiently manage their monthly periods.
She explained that most female students both in and outside campus cannot afford sanitary pads regularly due to the high cost of the products.
“Lots of female students who can’t afford the basic essentials have resorted to using unhygienic materials during their monthly periods, because they don’t have the means to procure the pads on a monthly basis.
We are really struggling to procure this essential item for our use, this coupled with other basic life demands are pushing most ladies into all sorts of unholy acts,” Ms Ms. Eshun said.
She is, therefore, appealing to the government to ensure that sanitary pads are affordable and easily accessible to all families.
Speaking in an interview with the media after the presentation of the pads, the WASH Technical Coordinator of WVG, Mr. Yaw Attah Arhin, hinted that the donations to female students in the selected schools were to promote comfort and confidence and facilitate improved learning outcomes.
“Apart from the schools which have produced Child Sanitation Diplomats, support to the rest of the schools including ATU were based on requests for support,” he noted.
According to him, high cost of sanitary products, are making it inaccessible for many females.
Menstrual health he said is a vital aspect of women’s well-being.
“The lack of access to basic sanitary products and hygiene facilities forces most women to resort to unsanitary practices and unhygienic methods, putting their health at risk,” Mr. Arhin reiterated.
He, therefore, called on the government to introduce a comprehensive policy on menstrual health and hygiene to address the systemic barriers that perpetuate those challenges.
Mr. Arhin, again appealed to the government to remove all taxes on sanitary pads be it imported or locally manufactured to make it cheaper and more accessible to every adolescent girl, and woman everywhere.
