Make Sanitary Pad Affordable For Basic School Students to Reduce Students Absenteeism - Jumapo Adonteng Hene Appeals to Government
The Adonteng Hene of Jumapo in the New Juaben North Municipality of the Eastern region , Nana Kofi Sarpong has appealed to government to ensure the affordability of sanitary pads to adolescent girls in basic schools.
According to the Chief , due to the stigmatization some adolescent girls in basic schools whose parents or guardians are not able to afford sanitary pads go through during their menstrual cycle period the only option available to them is to absent themselves from school until their period is over which end up impacting negatively on their academic performance.
Nana Kofi Sarpong further noted that government should consider the reintroduction of free distribution of sanitary pads to adolescent girls in basic schools or there should be tax exemption on sanitary products to help reduce the price on the market.
The Chief made the disclosure during this year's celebration of Menstrual Hygiene Day championed by the New Juaben North Municipal Health Directorate in Collaboration with the Municipal Education Directorate aimed to restore a girl child's confidence.
The Municipal Health Directorate through it headline sponsors that's Obaayaa , Gabson Pharmacy, Fidelity Bank and the Manager of Koforidua branch of Ghana Commercial Bank distributed sanitary pads to each adolescent girl in Jumapo Methodist Basic school and Jumapo Presbyterian Basic school respectively.
The theme for the Menstrual Hygiene Day was " *Making Menstruation a Normal Fact of Life By 2030"*
The Municipal Director of Education for New Juaben North Municipality Madam Beverly Dansoah Bathels believe that Menstrual Hygiene Day is the right time that stakeholders especially educators and health personnels collaborate to educate the adolescent girls on menstrual hygiene to enable them step out confidently since it is their fundamental human right.
Madam Beverly Dansoah Bathels also urged government to intervene regarding the price of sanitary pads to enable all parents the opportunity to afford it for their adolescent children.
On the other hand, a Public Health Nurse in the New Juaben North Municipality Edith Dompreh Asiedua explained the objective of celebrating Menstrual Hygiene Day.
Additionally, she noted that some adolescent girls end up in teenage pregnancies because in some cases the opposite sex take advantage of their parents inability to get them sanitary pads and lure them into sexual acts.
Some of the students also shared their experiences , challenges and the lessons drawn from the program saying they are worried about the prices of sanitary pads.
By: Ansah Stephen