About 700 School Girls in Obuasi Municipality have received sanitary pads as part of efforts to improve menstrual hygiene from Big Peiro Company and No Limit Charity Foundation.
Big Peiro company limited, a tailing construction firm in collaboration with No Limits Charity Organisation, an NGO to donate the about 2,500 pads to mark this year’s World Menstrual Hygiene Day on the theme “Together for a Period Friendly World”
According to the Company and the organization, Menstrual health is a fundamental aspect of human rights, dignity, and public health, and for that matter, Menstrual Hygiene Day, observed annually on May 28, is dedicated to breaking taboos and raising awareness about the importance of good menstrual hygiene management.
Mr Peter Armah Kpolly Chief Executive Officer (CEO) stated that, the sanitary pads are expected to bring relief to the school girls who mostly encounter difficulties in accessing the pads during menstruation because of the cost.
According to him, the decision to join in donating the pads stems from the ordeals girls especially those in school go through during the periods of menstruation.
He noted that, as an advocate for women empowerment, his company saw the need to collaborate with No limit Charity Foundation to support school girls with the sanitary pads.
According to him, as a company they recognize the enormity of the situation at hand, where some girls find it difficult to access sanitary pads during menstruation, which he said affects school attendance, and also results in stigmatization and leads to low self confidence, the reason they intervened.
He appealed to government to consider supplying free sanitary pads in schools, adding that, once the government had demonstrated commitment to improve access to education through Free Senior High School, it can keep the girls in school by supplying the free pads to the girls.
Madam Rita Esionam Garglo, Chief Executive officer of No Limits Charity Foundation, also stressed on the challenges some school girls go through during menstruation.
According to her, access to sanitary pads, water and sharing of toilets is a major challenged for menstruating girls to wash themselves.
She said the re-usable menstrual products, stained clothes and sanitation infrastructure is a critical but all too-often neglected aspect of menstrual hygiene management.
She commended Peiro company limited for the collaboration saying the donation signifies the commitment of groups and individuals to see girl and women experience safe and hygienic menstruation.
She also pleaded with the government to intervene by making sanitary pads easily accessible to school girls to enhance hygienic menstruation.
Miss Judith Acquah , a student of Obuasi Senior High Technical school commended the two institutions for supporting them with sanitary pads, and expressed their frustration over the cost of sanitary pads hampering clean and safe menstruation, urged the government for support for school girls.
