By Rebecca Asheley Amarh, GNA
Tema, Nov. 02, GNA — The Ghana Education Service (GES) has called on stakeholders to support the provision of washrooms with changing rooms in schools to enable female students to manage their menstrual hygiene needs with dignity.
Madam Valeria Vuley, Girl-Child Coordinator at the Tema Metropolitan Directorate of the GES, said the facilities would allow girls to change comfortably whenever they experienced menstrual leakage while in school.
Madam Vuley said inadequate access to sanitary pads and appropriate facilities continued to affect girls’ school attendance, particularly during their menstrual periods.
She expressed concern that approximately one-third of girls were absent from school during menstruation, describing the situation worrying and calling for urgent intervention.
She appealed to stakeholders, non-governmental organisations, traditional authorities and philanthropists to support schools with the necessary facilities and menstrual hygiene products.
She made the appeal during an engagement organised by the Chalk Talk Foundation Africa through its annual ‘Clean the Red’ campaign in Tema New Town.
The initiative involved selected schoolgirls and boys from various schools in the area and included the distribution of sanitary pads to support girls’ menstrual hygiene needs.
Mr Richard Kwabena Nsarkoh, Founder of the Chalk Talk Foundation Africa, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the campaign sought to educate and empower girls in schools within the Tema Manhean area.
Mr Nsarkoh added that the initiative was inspired by the challenges confronting girls, particularly limited opportunities and low self-confidence arising from societal barriers.
He noted that the foundation wanted to encourage girls to believe in themselves and recognise their ability to overcome challenges and achieve their aspirations.
“Through the Clean the Red campaign, we seek to break barriers, promote menstrual health awareness, inspire confidence and remind every girl that her dreams should never be limited by her menstrual cycle,” he said.
According to him, every girl deserved access to menstrual health education, dignity, encouragement and equal opportunities to thrive.
Mr Nsarkoh appealed to the government, the Ministry of Gender, women’s empowerment agencies, sanitary pad manufacturers, advocates and individuals to provide financial, logistical and other forms of support to organisations undertaking menstrual health programmes.
He said strategic partnerships were necessary to enable the foundation to expand its activities and reach more communities.
GNA
Edited by Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo/Kenneth Odeng Adade