Wilmar Africa, has partnered an NGO, Inspire Today, to support young menstruating girls in Amasaman Cluster of schools in the Ga West Municipality of the Grater Accra Region to mark World Menstrual Hygiene Day.
More than 3,000 menstruating girls received sanitary towels, bathing soap, roll-ons, shaving sticks and educational materials. This is an effort to reduce the rising cases of sex for sanitary pads among adolescent girls in Ghana.
The award winning company provided the girls with the different range of their Jama detergent washing powder, cartons of the alife soap to help the girls practice good personal hygiene.
Brand manager in charge of Jama and Alife at Wilmar Africa, Maame Adwoa Markin stressed the need to prioritize the education of the girl child.
‘We know that it’s only in cleanliness that you are able to assimilate what you are being taught in class and that is why we have consistently provided our Jama and Alife soap to these girls through Inspire Today. Our partnership with Inspire Today is to ensure that the girls clean themselves well during menstruation and have a hygienic period.’
The Amasaman Cluster of schools will be the 17th cluster to receive support from the Inspire today Foundation.
Founder of INSPIRE TODAY, Etornam Sey, expressed worry about a recent report by plan international Ghana revealing that 83 per cent of Adolescent Girls interviewed in Wa East sleep with men in exchange for sanitary pads.
‘We find the report very humiliating and that is because girls should not be exchanging sex for sanitary pads. We give free condoms to the youth to practice safe sex and these are people who are choosing to have sex. The girls do not choose to menstruate and we should be able to give them free sanitary pads so they can stay in school’.
She has meanwhile called on government to review the 20 per cent tax on disposable sanitary pads to make it affordable for the adolescent girl.
Director of education for Ga West Municipality, Rev. Peter Bilson has expressed gratitude to Inspire Today and MTN Ghana foundation for the consistent support for girls in public schools.
Inspire Today Foundation is a network organization nurturing a nationwide movement of female leaders through a concerted effort at achieving the sustainable development goals three and 5 which is promoting good health and well-being and enforcing gender equality.
Source: 3news.com
