Plan Ghana suggests installing pad banks in classrooms.

As part of the distribution procedure for the free sanitary pad program, Joyce Obenewaa Darko, Project Manager for the She Leads Project at Plan International Ghana (PIGHA), has suggested setting up sanitary pad banks at the different schools.

According to her, the sanitary pad banks may be used to keep an eye on distribution and make sure the appropriate people get them.

According to her, students would simply need to complete a form or a book while selecting a box from the banks, which should be placed in a location that is convenient for them.

Pilot
Ms. Darko said that a similar project has been tried in the Upper West Region, namely at the Wa Methodist School for the Blind, and “it has worked effectively” during a three-day media training that PIGHA arranged for its media partners in northern Ghana.

According to her, this made sure that only those who required the pads showed up, and she thought that if the government followed suit, it would assist to reduce waste and guarantee that the pads ended up in the correct hands.

Exaltation
She praised the government for providing free sanitary pads to female students in primary and secondary schools, which totaled over GH¢290 million in this year’s budget.

According to her, menstruation poverty continues to be a major obstacle to women’s and girls’ growth, education, and well-being, especially for those living in rural regions.

According to her, the program would also help girls enroll in school and guarantee that they don’t miss contact hours while they are menstruating.

In order to teach students—especially boys—that menstruation is a normal occurrence and to avoid making fun of girls who sully themselves during that time of year, the She Leads Program Manager also asked for a sensitization campaign.

In addition to providing a forum for menstrual hygiene instruction, she claimed that this would eliminate any inhibitions the girls could have when obtaining the pads from the bank.

The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs is providing financing for a consortium to carry out the five-year She Leads project.

Plan International, Defense for Children, Africa Women’s Development and Communication Network, and Terre des Hommes, Netherlands, are all members of the consortium.

The initiative, which concludes in December of this year, aims to change gender norms in official and informal organizations and strengthen the long-term influence of girls and young women on decision-making.

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