Wilmar Africa, a subsidiary of Wilmar International – producers of Jamaa soap and washing powder, Alife and Fortune brands of products, has marked this year’s Menstrual Hygiene Day with over 4,000 menstruating girls in Mallam Cluster of Schools.
The company collaborated with an NGO, Inspire Today, to extend support to eight different schools within the Weija-Gbawe Municipal Education Directorate. Wilmar Africa supplied the girls with their various brands of soap items to mark the day.
Head of Marketing for Wilmar Africa, Ewuraba Adusei, underscored the need to practise good personal hygiene during and after menstruation. “It is critical for us at Wilmar Africa to have our girls look good and feel fresh. We are passionate about seeing our girls in school and helping them have the confidence they need to study.
“We are partnering Inspire Today, an NGO that is focused on bridging the gap between male and female enrolment in schools, because we believe that achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 takes a collective effort. We need them to take their bath regularly during and after menstruation; and they should not be held back because of lack of access to these products.”
Founder and Executive Director for Inspire Today, Etornam Sey, expressed gratitude to the team at Wilmar Africa for their consistent support over the past five years in helping maintain clean hygienic menstruation for these girls.
“As an NGO, we do not have the financial muscle to take on such huge numbers and that is why we are grateful to corporate institutions like Wilmar, who consistently come through for these girls each time we call on them.
“At Inspire Today, we believe that every girl, irrespective of your geographical location or economic background, deserves a dignified menstruation. In low-income countries, the choices of menstrual hygiene materials are often limited by the costs, availability and social norms; and that is where we come in with this intervention to ensure the girls remain in school.”
Menstrual Hygiene Day is an annual awareness day on May 28 to highlight the importance of good menstrual hygiene management. It was initiated by the German-based NGO WASH United in 2014. Since then, individuals, corporate institutions and NGO’s such as Inspire Today have seized the day to champion the course of women and girls who do not have access to sanitary pads.
The theme for this year’s Menstrual Hygiene Day is ‘Together for a #PeriodFriendlyWorld’. This is because we believe that in a #PeriodFriendlyWorld, the stigma and taboos surrounding menstruation are history. It is a world where everyone can access the products and be educated on periods and period-friendly infrastructure they need.
