Some gender advocates are suggesting that the government find alternative funding support to absorb the costs of sanitary pads for young girls who are unable to purchase hygienic products.

One advocate recommending that the government allocate funds to provide free sanitary towels for young females is business consultant, Dr. Nana Esi Amos Abanyin.

She suggested that the Ghanaian Education Trust Fund support girl child education by allocating a portion of its funds for the procurement of sanitary products.

“The girls are home and not in school due to common factors, Sanitary pads they cannot afford. The Get-Fund can at least allocate 0.1% or 1% specifically to support the girls. Although its sole focus is on building schools, it is only the males that will have access to it if the girls aren’t also catered for,” she said.

There have been calls on the government to reduce the cost of the pads, which they insist are expensive due to heavy tax impositions.

The situation is impeding the academic progress of many young girls as they are compelled to stay out of school to tend to their menstrual needs.

According to Dr. Abenyin, the government needs to invest in educating young girls to empower them and create a more equitable society.

“If the girls are not educated well the government should forget it,” she stated.

Supporting the call, Deputy Country Director of Send Ghana, Dr. Emmanuel Ayifah suggests that the government can also strategize to absorb the cost of sanitary wear under the National Health Insurance Scheme.

"We can still look within possibly the NHIS because that is health, to support the aspect of sanitary pad. We're hoping the government can help support the distribution of sanitary pads, promote local production, and reduce the price to make sanitary pads affordable for everyone,” he said.

They made the submissions during a symposium for gender advocacy organized by Send Ghana in collaboration with I Believe Global and the Kumasi Technical University. The event brought together students, market women, and other gender actors to deliberate on the country’s strife for gender equity.

The 2022 United Nations Voluntary National Review for the Sustainable Development Goals reports Ghana’s strive for gender parity is on a steady trajectory. The quest for gender parity appears to be attainable as parliament considers the Affirmative Action Bill, which has not been passed into law following its introduction some 13 years ago.

Dr. Abenyin asserts the country must deliberately focus on instituting measures for gender parity, insisting women must take the fight aggressively.

“If no action is taken and there is no way we can make progress. It’s apparent that external assistance for women may not be forthcoming. Hence, they must take the initiative to stand on their own and transform discussions into definitive actions,” she added.

Director for I Believe Global, Professor Smile Dzisi, admonished the public to break away from gender stereotypes.

She believes that the stereotypical comments undermine the contributions of women, restricting them from taking up leadership roles.

"There is this perception that females cannot occupy certain positions very well. They think feminity is timidity, you can’t take bold decisions and that is a problem because we have great female leaders performing well,“ she said.