Menstrual poverty: United Pension Trustees calls for an end to menstruation stigma
United Pension Trustees is advocating an end to the stigma surrounding menstruation, stressing that open dialogue and access to sanitary products are essential for protecting girls’ health and future.
As part of activities marking Menstrual Hygiene Day, the trustees, in collaboration with the Nkɔsuoɔhene of the Juaben Traditional Area, Nana Awuah-Darko Ampem II, organised a hygiene seminar for junior high school students in the Juaben Municipality and donated sanitary pads and soaps to over 2,000 girls.
Despite the government rolling out the free sanitary pad initiative, the trustee believes that more affordable sanitary pads could improve menstrual health for girls.
The event involved eight schools in the Juaben Municipality: Anglican JHS, Benevolent Islamic JHS, Presbyterian JHS, RC JHS, STEM JHS, Methodist JHS, MA JHS, and SDA JHS.
During the seminar, menstrual health and hygiene experts and Girl Child Education officers provided girls who have reached puberty with guidance on maintaining proper hygiene during and after menstruation.
The outreach also extended to boys, who were educated on general health, teenage pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Ghana’s leading pension administration and wealth management firm further supported the initiative by distributing hygiene products and educational materials to them.
Head of Investment at United Pension Trustees, Samira Nasiru, said the intervention is part of the firm’s social responsibility to support adolescent health, education, and menstrual equity in underserved communities.
“Inclusion, empowerment, and community development are core to our values, and this project reflects that. We’re always ready to contribute in any way we can to support people,” she said.
Ms. Nasiru noted that many girls often drop out of school due to the stigma surrounding menstruation.
She explained that fear of embarrassment, lack of access to sanitary products, and inadequate toilet facilities in schools force some girls to stay home during their periods.
She stressed that breaking the silence around menstruation is critical to keeping girls in classrooms and protecting their right to education.
“No girl should miss school or be placed at a disadvantage because of a natural biological process. Menstruation affects every woman, yet women’s health does not receive the attention it deserves. We hope to spark these conversations so more people can support menstrual hygiene education and public awareness in order to end the stigma.”
She applauded the government’s free sanitary pad initiative for Senior High Schools, but cautioned that more must be done to support menstrual hygiene, noting that high taxes on sanitary pads still put them out of reach for many women.
Juaben Municipal Girl Child Education Officer Yvonne Telfer expressed gratitude on behalf of adolescent girls to the management of United Pension Trustees for their renewed efforts toward supporting menstrual hygiene and girl child education.
She noted that the organization’s commitment had brought relief to many students who previously struggled with access to sanitary products and urged continued collaboration to ensure that no girl’s education is interrupted by her menstrual cycle.
Yvonne Telfer added that engaging the boys is so critical to reducing stigma around menstruation, preventing teenage pregnancy, and promoting shared responsibility for reproductive health in schools and communities.
She also appealed for logistical support to intensify advocacy campaigns in schools and communities.
Mrs. Telfer said additional resources such as educational materials, transportation, and training for peer educators are needed to reach more students and sustain conversations on menstrual hygiene.
“Expanding outreach would help break long-standing stigma, equip both girls and boys with accurate information, and ensure menstrual health becomes a consistent part of school health programs,” she said.
Menstrual Hygiene Day is an annual awareness day observed on May 28 to highlight the importance of good menstrual hygiene management globally. This year’s campaign is part of a long-term mission under the theme: “Together for a #PeriodFriendlyWorld.”
المصدر: MyJoyOnline (GH)