The Queen Mother of Abutia Kloe in the Ho West District of the Volta Region, Mama Ayipey III, has appealed to the government to consider the provision of free sanitary pads in schools as a way of supporting menstruating girls.

According to her, health and hygiene, especially among girls should be priortise.

“Their health is important as future leaders and so the government must support them with pads. It should become part of the development agenda,” Mama Ayipey said at an event held in the community to commemorate Global Menstrual Hygiene Day.

The event was held at the Abutia Kloe EP Basic School and had various schools in the Abutia enclave attending it.

The Ghana Education Service in the Ho West District in collaboration with Mawuadek Foundation, a non-profit that has been supporting menstrual hygiene in the country, organised the event.

The Ho West Director of Education, Mrs Paulina Gobe, said the lack of access to pads caused some of the schoolgirls to resort to frugal and insanitary methods during their periods and often absented themselves from classes.

She mentioned that teachers continued to intervene by supporting needy girls with materials during their periods in school, but said the efforts were being hampered by the rising costs.

The Education Director said the government should be able to take up the provision of sanitary pad for schoolgirls until local production could guarantee affordability.

She commended the efforts of humanitarian organisations such as Mawuadek for considering the plight of young girls and providing them with some pads.

The Foundation is distributing more than 1,600 sanitary pads to schools in the district, as an annual activity, which helps establish pad banks in the various schools.

The CEO of Mawuadek, Mawufemor Adekpuitor, said the organisation also provide education on menstrual health and hygiene to help transform mindsets and promote support for menstruating girls.

He said many parents have appreciated the need to assist their wards during the periods.

However, the donation, which was in its fourth year, was being hampered by dwindling philanthropic support.

The 28th day of May each year has been set aside by the UN to promote menstrual health and awareness globally, and it is in its tenth year of celebration.