Former Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Otiko Afisa Djaba, has issued a powerful call to action on menstrual hygiene in the country.

The Executive Director of the Henry Djaba Memorial Foundation in a statement on World Menstrual Hygiene Day on May 28, emphasized the need to eradicate the exploitative practice of “sex for menstrual hygiene essentials.”

She pointed out that, in many low-income households, the lack of access to sanitary products forces some girls to engage in transactional sex to obtain these basic necessities.

“Girls engaging in sex for menstrual essentials is a horror movie and a nightmare” she bemoaned.

Dr. Djaba commended girls for their resilience and reiterated that menstruation is a natural and honorable part of womanhood.

“Indeed, the ability to menstruate is a badge of honor, that symbolizes the beginning of puberty, womanhood and motherhood. Girls, should be happy to understand that, there is nothing dirty or shameful about having your monthly flow.”

The former Gender Minister further urged the government to take immediate action.

She called for the removal of taxes on sanitary products and the establishment of local factories to produce affordable sanitary items.

Dr. Djaba also proposed the creation of a Menstrual Hygiene Management Fund to support vulnerable girls, funded by corporate social responsibility initiatives and public contributions.

Additionally, she appealed to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MOGCSP) to provide leadership in this area and integrate menstrual hygiene management into the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) program.

She also urged the Ghana Education Service to include sanitary essentials in school supplies and for the promotion of sustainable hygiene practices.

Dr. Djaba expressed hope for a future where no girl has to exchange sex for menstrual hygiene products.

She called for collective action to ensure dignity and respect for all girls, emphasizing their right to education and personal development.

Read press statement below:

Press Statement
28th May 2024
From: Dr Otiko Afisah Djaba
Executive Director of Henry Djaba Memorial Foundation (Former Minister of Gender, Children & Social Protection)

Take Action and Unchain our girls from Sex for Menstrual Hygiene Essentials
We write to appreciate and honor all girls experiencing menstruation in celebration of this year’s Menstrual Hygiene Day. The Henry Djaba Memorial Foundation is very proud of the incredible journey, achievements and lives of girls who have experienced and those still experiencing menstruation. Indeed, the ability to menstruate is a badge of honor, that symbolizes the beginning of puberty, womanhood and motherhood.

Girls, should be happy to understand that, there is nothing dirty or shameful about having your monthly flow. We seize this special day 28th May 2024 to call on Government to enforce their political will and to duty bearers, parents, men and boys to take serious action to unchain our girls from sex for menstrual hygiene essentials.

The World Menstrual Hygiene Day raises awareness on the importance of good menstrual hygiene practices and puts the spotlight on the challenges faced by women and girls in managing their periods, especially in low-income, poverty stricken homes, where money for daily feeding is a problem, access to clean water is poor, sanitation and hygienic products are limited. For as little as GHC10.00, the cost of the cheapest sanitary towels on the market, some girls will sleep with some unscrupulous boy or man in exchange for this pittance, while others are pushed by parents to into prostitution for basic needs.

Hearing of girls engaging in sex for menstrual essentials is like a horror movie and a nightmare. We need to have the courage as Ghanaians to do right by our girls. There is no excuse or the realty of poverty for any girl to engage in prostitution for food and basic needs. Poverty should make fools of us or a people without pride and dignity. The ultimate challenge is getting it right.

There is no better time than now to make a clean break from the wrong taboos and choices of our past against our vulnerable and needy daughters and sisters. Where lies the dignity and values of these girls who engage in sex for these menstrual and basic essentials?

Looking at the present dire situation and into the future we must look for the low hanging fruits of how to prevent our daughter‘s, sisters and future mothers from this horrible and horrifying reality of engaging in prostitution to manage their menstrual hygiene. As a community of Ghanaians, we need to rethink about sustainable menstrual hygiene practices for the development of our girls. Political will for strategic decisions and actions must be deployed with speed to stop the destructive impact on our girls and the future of our communities.

This is not just a women’s matter but a grave national issue. So we call on Government to immediately place zero taxes on all sanitary products and to initiate the establishment of factories to produce Ghana made affordable sanitary products from alternative sources like banana Fibre amongst others. The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection must wake up from its slumber to provide leadership and initiate policy for a child benefit allowance for menstrual hygiene management on the LEAP based on a proxy means test.

Furthermore, MOGCSP should provide coordination of sustainable solutions for a remarkable change in the management of menstrual hygiene. MOGCSP can set up a a specific Menstrual Hygiene Management Fund for corporate bodies to also contribute a percentage of their corporate social responsibility portfolio for the purchase and distribution of a regular supply of sanitary essentials for vulnerable girls. Public, private workers and philanthropists could also contribute Ghc1.00 monthly to the Menstrual Hygiene Management Fund. Ghana Education Service can budget for the supply of free sanitary essentials to schools for teachers to distribute to vulnerable girls like they do with free school uniforms, text books, school bags and the like.

The one off distribution of sanitary essentials is not sustainable and it could create a dependency syndrome. When the benefactor stops donating the supplies what happens to the girls then?. Reusable sanitary towels are not hygienic especially where there is no running water. In addition, we need prompt change of negative attitudes from men and boys who prey on our vulnerable girls and the lackadaisical reactions to menstrual hygiene from parents. To the Girl Child, stop selling yourself short by engaging in sex for menstrual hygiene supplies and discipline yourself. Indiscipline in the area of sex makes you cheap and takes away from your dignity, self esteem and respect.

It can put you at risk of unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and the curtailment of your education and thus goals. The implementation of the above proposed solutions would ensure that never again will a girl of Ghana exchange sex for menstrual hygiene supplies.

We should all bow our heads down in shame for these atrocities, violations and abuses against girls and women, especially when they are most vulnerable. Girls have dreams and aspirations too. The gate way to opportunities for the advancement and wellbeing of girls is for them to be free from sex for menstrual essentials, sexual exploitation, entrapment, violence and harassment. We are calling for committed collective action to work hard together, as a community of Ghanaians to change the narrative on the management of girls menstrual hygiene.

It is my fervent wish for boys and men to experience menstruation to enable them better appreciate the pains, fears and sacrifices that women endure during their monthly flows.

Girls the sky is just the beginning and you have bright futures. As we celebrate this year’s International Menstrual Hygiene Day, be proud of yourselves because menstruation makes you rock.

Long live the girl child
#girlsrock
#dignityforthegirlchild
#notoprostitution
#zerotaxesonmenstrualitems