By Erica Apeatua Addo, GNA
Akyempim (W/R), June 2, GNA – AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Mine has celebrated this year’s Menstrual Hygiene Day with girls from Basic and Senior High Schools in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality.
The Mine called on all stakeholders to work together to address the barriers that hindered access to hygienic menstrual products.
Poor menstrual hygiene, according to the Mine, did not only affect the well-being of women and girls but also undermined their educational opportunities and social status.
“Together for a Period Friendly World”, is the theme for this year’s celebration.
At a durbar organized by operators of the Mine to commemorate the event in Akyempim, Mrs Rose Amoah, Senior Manager Finance, in a speech read on behalf of the Managing Director of AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Mine, noted that menstrual hygiene was a fundamental issue that required collective action and partnership to address effectively.
She explained that the Mine was devoted in playing her part in promoting menstrual hygiene and breaking down the barriers that stood in the way of a period friendly world.
Over the last two years, the Mine, in collaboration with GIZ, had consistently distributed free sanitary pads to adolescent girls in eight basic schools within the Mine’s catchment communities every month, in line with their commitment to ensure that no adolescent girl missed school.
Mrs Amoah said last year week-long activities were implemented to mark menstrual hygiene day, where they reached out to adolescent girls from the basic schools and sensitized them on menstrual hygiene.
Additionally, she noted that with support of the Apinto Divisional Stool Queen Mother, community-level fora were organized to sensitize parents on the role of effective parenting in the successful upbringing of girls.
“Iduapriem Mine organised a training programme for the School Health and Girl Child Coordinators to equip them with the necessary skills for effective menstrual hygiene management so they could continue with monthly education.
“As part of our Basic Education Improvement Programme, we have also piloted girl friendly washrooms in two of our host community basic schools to address the unique needs of adolescent girls. I want to thank our partners: GIZ, Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal Health Directorate, Ghana Education Service, traditional authorities and the media for their continuous support,” Mrs Amoah added.
A Midwife at Bankyiem Health Center, Madam Rhoda Gyetuah, educated the girls on what they needed to know about safe and hygienic menstruation.
Mrs Agnes Esi Quanson, the Municipal Education Health Promotion Coordinator for the Ghana Education Service, reminded religious leaders not to prevent girls or women who menstruated from worshipping the Supreme being in church and mosque.
She said, “menstruation is not a disgrace or disease, you can worship your God truthfully and menstruate neatly at the same time because it is through menstruation that we procreate.”
The programme brought together students, queen mothers, health workers, staff of the Mine and other women groups while sanitary pads were distributed to all the students by the Mine.
GNA