Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, the Vice President, has presented hygiene supplies to selected schools and health facilities in the Upper West Region to support menstrual hygiene, improve girls’ school attendance, and promote dignity among vulnerable groups.

The donation, supported by private-sector partners under the government’s free pad distribution initiative, included about 4,000 sanitary pads donated by Access Bank for distribution to beneficiary institutions, including schools.

Speaking at a short ceremony in Wa to present the items, the Vice President said the intervention formed part of the government’s commitment to dismantling barriers that hinder girls’ education and wellbeing.

She said the sanitary pad initiative was conceived years ago after evidence showed that some girls missed school during menstruation, which affected their school attendance and holistic development.

“If you went to any school and you looked at the attendance, you would notice that there were certain times when some girls were missing.

“And you know that insofar as you see a pattern and you can extract the meaning of that pattern, it means you can problematise the problem, and then you can find a solution.

What we saw was that the girls were missing school, not because they didn’t want to come to school, not because there was a problem, but because their natural bodies were behaving the way they are expected to”, Prof Opoku-Agyemang explained.

She said that, in response, the government initiated practical solutions, including sanitary pad support, water provision, and improved sanitation facilities in schools.

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang indicated that the initiative initially faced criticism, but that the country had come to appreciate the importance of menstrual hygiene support for girls’ education and dignity.

She urged the beneficiaries and stakeholders to make good use of the materials and encouraged the schoolgirls to remain focused on their education, take their studies seriously, and strive for excellence.

“Believe in yourselves, focus on what you are doing, do it well… I want to encourage you to become much, much better than you have ever been”, the Vice President encouraged the girls.

Mr Charles Lwanga, the Upper West Regional Minister, described the gesture as timely and important in promoting hygiene among young women and helping keep girls in school during their menstrual periods.

He said the donation would help ensure girls in the region were properly supported and cared for, while contributing to improved educational outcomes.

Miss Alhassan Shumaimatu, a student at the Wa Senior High School, in a poetry recital, commended the initiative as a step towards strengthening girls’ education and inclusion in the region.