Reproductive Advocate Health Education (RAHE-Ghana) a non-governmental organization has charged all Ghanaians to champion the advocacy of proper menstrual hygiene among young girls especially those in rural areas.
According to the NGO, Girl child school absenteeism is most rampant especially in deprived communities in the country during menstrual period. This according to RAHE Ghana is attributable to poverty leading to the inability of the young girls to purchase disposable pads.
According to the NGO, this has led to some of the pupils resulting to the use of inappropriate means during menstruation leading to some infectious diseases.
They however added that, the introduction of reusable pads could minimize the infectious diseases associated with improper menstrual hygiene and reduce child school absenteeism. As such it was noted that reusable pads have been introduced to help curb girl child absenteeism in rural and deprived communities.
This was made known when RAHE-Ghana commemorated this year’s International Menstrual Hygiene Day, at St. Martha’s JHS at Awutu Senya East Municipality in the central region of Ghana.
The commemoration brought together thousands of pupils from the Municipality who converged at the venue for the education on proper menstrual hygiene.
Speaking at the event, Programs Coordinator for RAHE-Ghana, Mr. Paul Teiko Tagoe said the right of girls to stay in school is imperative to their wellbeing and the country as a whole; and that it is essential that keen consideration is assigned, to intensively champion proper menstrual hygiene.
Speaking on other moves embarked on by the NGO to improve on proper menstrual hygiene, Mr. Tagoe said, apart from the commemoration day, RAHE-Ghana has initiated a project called Menstrual Hygiene Management Project with four component, namely, Community Advocacy, Education, Facility and Providing Materials to intensively support proper menstrual hygiene, which are used to support with other means.
He mentioned that, RAHE-Ghana is facilitating the introduction of a facility in the various schools to offer adolescent girls the opportunity to change themselves and stay in school during menstruation.
Again, it is engaged in educating adolescent girls the sanitary materials and sowing process through trained professional seamstresses to enable students cater for their menstrual wellbeing, whiles the community advocacy work educates both young and old, social groups and religious bodies.
He added that, RAHE-Ghana anticipates to introduce the project across Ghana and urge donors to support the project to eradicate girl child school absenteeism.
In his view, as the day is been marked, sustainability is key and should be much focused projects that will ensure it sustainability.
Headmistress for St. Martha’s JHS school, Madam Harriet Quaye, stressed, that proper menstrual hygiene needs continuous education, of which teachers have constantly done that.
However urge parents to also monitor their wards at home to keep girls safe during menstruation.
