By Linda Naa Deide Ayreetey/Eugenia Otenwaa
Accra, May 27, GNA – The Ghana Civil Society Platform on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on Tuesday called for enhanced collaboration between the Government and civil society to ensure the sustainability of the free sanitary pad distribution policy.
Madam Levlyn Asiedu, the National Coordinator, CSO’s Platform on SDGs, who made the call, said stakeholders involvement was crucial for an effective implementation of the policy.
She was speaking at a dialogue session in Accra, organised by the Platform ahead of the Menstrual Hygiene Day on May 28.
The Day is observed every year across the world to highlight the importance of menstrual care and create awareness about challenges faced by those without access to menstrual products.
It emphasises accessibility to menstrual products, safe, hygienic spaces to use them, and the right to manage menstruation without shame or stigma.
This year’s Menstrual Hygiene Day, on the theme: “Together for a #PeriodFriendlyWorld,” calls for collective action to ensure that menstruation did not limit access to education, health, or opportunity.
Madam Asiedu said the Government needed to work closely with the Ghana Civil Society Platform on its free pad policy to ensure girls had access to the necessary materials, infrastructure, and space to function normally during menstruation.
Statistics showed that most girls missed approximately 60 days of school annually due to menstruation-related challenges, with some engaging in risky behaviours to access sanitary products, she said.
“A critical challenge undermining access to sanitary pads is the significant price variations across retail outlets for the same products, if the prices by retailers are not the same, some girls may be disadvantaged,” she said.
Achieving access to affordable pads required continued vigilance beyond policy change, with CSOs conducting regular market monitoring.
Nana Bafffour-Awuah, the Director of Pre-Tertiary Education, Ministry of Education, said the Government was committed to comprehensive menstrual hygiene policies through resource allocation and infrastructure development.
The Free Sanitary Pad initiative, launched by President John Dramani Mahama on April 24, 2025, targeted two million school girls across basic and secondary public schools nationwide.
It is designed to reduce absenteeism due to the lack of menstrual hygiene products and ensure that no child missed school due to their period.
He said the Government would, as part of the policy, improve school sanitation facilities with clean toilets, proper disposal systems, and adequate water for cleaning.
He described the initiative as a long-term commitment to be regularly monitored
by the Ghana Education Service to ensure effective implementation.
Mr Baffour-Awuah called on CSOs to continue advocating stronger menstrual health policies while collaborating with the Government, private sector, and non-governmental organisations to improve access and promote education that normalised menstruation.
Madam Grace-Yvette Palm, Programme Officer, Department of Gender, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, called on Civil Society Organisations to support the Government to make the Free Pad Policy effective.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe