To commemorate World Menstrual Hygiene Day this year, FanMilk Ghana Limited, MTN Ghana, Wilmar Africa, and Dano Milk have joined forces with the social intervention and network NGO, Inspire Today, to support young menstruating girls in the Amasaman Cluster of schools in the Ga West Municipality of the Greater Accra Region.
The day saw more than 3,000 menstruating girls receiving sanitary towels, bathing soap, roll-ons, shaving sticks, and educational materials. This forms part of efforts by the organisations to reduce the escalating cases of sex for sanitary pads among adolescent girls in Ghana.
Founder of Inspire Today, Etornam Sey, has expressed worry about the recent report by Plan International Ghana which revealed that 83 percent of adolescent girls interviewed in Wa East sleep with men in exchange for sanitary pads, adding that there is need to change the narrative.
“We find the report very humiliating, and that is because girls should not be exchanging sex for sanitary pads. We give free condoms to the youths to practice safe sex and these are people who are choosing to have sex. The girls do not choose to menstruate and we should be able to give them free sanitary pads so they can stay in school,” she indicated.
She however called on government to review the 20 percent tax on disposable sanitary pads to make them affordable for an adolescent girl.
The Amasaman Cluster of schools was the 17th cluster to receive support from the Inspire today Foundation initiatives.
For FanMilk Ghana, every child irrespective of their socio-economic background or geographical location deserves dignified menstruation, hence, finds the initiative to be crucial.
Senior Manager in charge of Corporate Communications at MTN Ghana, Georgina Asare Fiagbenu, seized the opportunity to encourage the girls to be intentional about their goals.
‘‘MTN is a company that believes in making progress, helping companies, communities, countries, and Africa at large to be better. We thrive on brightening lives, so today we are here to partner with Inspire Today, led by Etornam Sey, to encourage the girls to practice good personal hygiene and also stay in school. On the occasion of the World Menstrual Hygiene Day, the MTN Ghana Foundation is encouraging the girls to know that menstruation is normal and it should not be an impediment to the goals they set for themselves,’’ she said.
Brand manager in charge of Jama and Alife at Wilmar Africa, Maame Adwoa Markin, stressed the need to prioritise the education of the girl-child. “We know that it is only in cleanliness that you can assimilate what you are being taught in class, and that is why we have consistently provided our Jama and Alife soap to these girls through Inspire Today. Our partnership with Inspire Today is to ensure that the girls clean themselves well during menstruation and have a hygienic period,” she added.
“Dano Milk is here today to encourage the girls to eat well and nourish their bodies so they can have a less painful menstrual cycle. Our partnership with Inspire Today is to ensure that the girls stay in school having all the right nutrients needed in their food for good education,” Marketing Manager at Arla foods, Wilson Agbeko, has noted.
For his part, the Director of Education for Ga West Municipality, Rev. Peter Bilson, expressed gratitude to Inspire Today and their partners for the consistent support for girls in the public schools.
Inspire Today Foundation
Inspire Today Foundation is a network organization, nurturing a nationwide movement of female leaders through a concerted effort at achieving the sustainable development goals three and five which are: ‘Promoting Good Health and Well-Being’, and ‘Enforcing Gender Equality’.
