By Stanley Senya
Accra, May 27, GNA – Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation (CONIWAS), in collaboration with Hope of Africa, has coached young girls in Amasaman Cluster of Schools on how to keep themselves healthy and hygienic during their menstrual period.
The sensitization on menstrual hygiene was to educate students on how to wear sanitary pads, dispose of them and use other alternatives when they can not afford sanitary products.
Mrs Basilia Nanbigne Adu-wusu, Executive Secretary for CONIWAS, in her remarks, said menstruation was a normal thing that every adolescent girl would experience and that they
should prepare themselves adequately towards getting their dignity kits with extra pant, pad, paper, soap, hand sanitizers and rubber bag as they got out of the home.
She asked girls to practice personal hygiene by bathing twice daily, regularly wash their underwear and dry them in the sun and to educate their peers who were yet to experience menstrual periods.
She said this at the commemoration of this year’s Menstrual Hygiene Day in Amasaman, it was on the national theme: “Imagine a Period Friendly Ghana”.
The Executive Secretary said the organization was working with the Ghana Standards Authority to provide quality materials for sewing of reusable cloth pad.
She said even though there were calls for removal of tax, it was prudent for stakeholders to provide and improve WASH facilities in schools for effective menstrual hygiene
Mrs Adu-wusu urged mothers to educate the girl-child during menstruation to teach the children how to fix sanitary pads, how to dispose them and provide nutritional foods to boost their immune systems during the menstrual period.
This, she said, would help stakeholders and NGO’s such as CONIWAS and other organizations to promote and create effective awareness on menstrual hygiene.
Mr Victor Noye Tawiah, Municipal Director of Education, Ga West Assembly, urged the boys to desist from mocking girls who had soiled themselves with blood during menstrual periods.
He called for government to invest in sanitary products for young girls to avoid school dropouts and poor performance in class.
“Menstrual periods are a human right, therefore, investment in sanitary pads and WASH facilities is paramount,” he added.
He said only a few young girls knew they were in their menstrual periods during their first month
hence, education was needed at basic schools for safe menstrual management.
He urged mothers and guardians to sensitize their wards on menstrual hygiene and practice them always.
However, students were took through the menstrual cycle, management of menstruation, fixing of pad, dos and don’ts during such periods.
Students were introduced to varieties of menstrual sanitary products such as menstrual cups, old cloth as pads, reusable pads and sanitary pads to ensure young girls and women use products they prefer.
Queen mothers, who graced the event expressed gratitude to the organisers for choosing the GA West area, they appealing to other institutions to also come on board to assist in creating menstrual hygiene awareness.
GNA