With many years in the publishing industry, Step Publishers is one of the leading publishing companies in Ghana. The firm collaborated with an NGO, Inspire Today, to support more than 4,000 menstruating girls in the Mallam Cluster of Schools in commemoration of the World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2024.
Step Publishers is a firm that is poised in the production of supplementary readers which seeks to empower people to love reading and be transformed by the messages they publish.
Head of Publications at Step Publishers, Sam Nyarko Mensah, says the partnership with Inspire Today was crucial. “We joined Inspire Today to donate sanitary towels and reading materials plus other personal hygiene items to thousands of girls in the Weija-Gbawe Municipal Direcrorate; and for us, it was such an honour!
“Inspire Today’s proposal to us was so striking and relevant that we could not hold back when they asked us to come on board. Girls need attention and care; and for us, it is critical to invest in their education so that they will be informed adults. Giving them these books is an investment into their future and no one can take that from them.”
Founder and Executive Director for Inspire Today, Etornam Sey, expressed gratitude to Step Publishers for their consistent support over the past five years in helping bridge the gap between male and female enrolment in schools.
“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 Step Publishers 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.
