By Benjamin Akoto
Sunyani, (Bono), May 29, GNA – Ms Precious Mariam Hamidu, Executive Director of the Alliance for Women Opportunities and Development (AFOWD), has called for girls to be empowered to break barriers and thereby tackle societal myths and misconception about menstruation.
That, she said, would uphold and preserve the dignity of girls.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, to mark the 2025 Menstrual Hygiene Day, Ms Hamidi stressed the need to “normalise conversations about menstruation to foster and deepen societal understanding.”
Touching on the theme for the 2025 celebration “Together for a Period-Friendly World,” she said: “At AFOWD, we believe in the power of education, advocacy, and community support to create an environment where people can speak freely about menstruation without shame.”
Ms Hamidu reaffirmed the Alliance’s commitment to ending stigma around menstruation and ensuring that society recognized menstruation as a “natural and dignified part of life.
She said: “Every girl deserves access to safe, hygienic, and affordable menstrual products.”
“Menstruation is not just a health issue, it’s a human rights issue,” she stated, and called on the government to make menstrual products affordable for girls, particularly those in rural and low-income communities.
Ms Hamidu said supportive spaces ought to be created in homes, schools, and workplaces where girls would feel comfortable discussing their reproductive health needs.
She acknowledged the importance of cultural sensitivity and menstruation saying, “understanding community-specific beliefs and challenges allows us to proffer solutions.”
She called on the nation to prioritize the reproductive health needs of girls as a key element in achieving gender equality.
GNA
Edited by Dennis Peprah/Benjamin Mensah