Founder of Aboafo NGO, Madam Georgina Armah-Dadson, a passionate advocate for the welfare of the girl child has marked this year’s “Menstrual Hygiene Day” with girls in the Awutu Senya West constituency of the Central region.
The programme was attended by over 500 school children within the district.
This year’s menstrual hygiene day was themed “Together for a period friendly world”
In order to improve the health and well-being of the children, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area who was also the guest of honor for the occasion, Gizella Tetteh-Agbotui organised nurses, midwives and individuals to educate the school children who would also serve as menstrual hygiene ambassadors to educate the girls in their respective schools.
Addressing the students she underscored the importance of health education in ensuring the wellbeing of the children, emphasizing that “our children can perform well in school when we support them with their hygiene needs”.
She admonished the representatives to take this ambassadorial privilege seriously and pledged to work together with them to support the girls in their various schools.
Ms Tetteh also entreated male teachers in the various schools within the district to prioritize the menstrual needs of the school by teaching them how to take care of themselves.
The MP cautioned the girls against hanging out with adolescent boys and men in order to curb teenage pregnancy in their communities, adding that, they should take their education seriously.
Madam Georgina Armah-Dadson said it is even more frustrating when these young girls have to go through menstrual poverty, not having the right materials to use during their period.
She explained that such experience does not only affect them emotionally but go a long way to affect their academics, affirming that it is something which is inimical and thwart the progress of their education.
She detailed that it was not for nothing, when Hon. Oye Bampoe championed free sanitary pads for girls when she was a gender minister.
She stressed that the move by the former gender minister was greeted with criticism at the time but being a woman who understands how stressful it is during those hard times, she knew how significant it was for the girls to get free sanitary pads to reduce the stress, pain and stigmatization.
She said the exercise was a whole project they have to embark on every single month and must be allowed to express their emotions.
“Women are the very creatures who can truly tell their sad experiences in life and should be given the chance to do so”
She added that it was a great relief for women when the Presidential candidate of the NDC, John Mahama said he would let his Vice Prof Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang spearhead the sectors of education, health and gender because those areas are best handled by women due to the unique qualities and challenges women go through, citing menstrual stress, pregnancy issues, labour pain, taking care of the children and later the elderly as practical experiences which are uniquely associated with women.
The MP was joined by Madam Georgina Armah-Dadson to distribute over 500 sanitary pads to the girls.
By Lawrence Odoom