GHANA JOINED the rest of the world to celebrate Menstrual Hygiene Day on May 28.
A number of government institutions collaborated to celebrate the day on the theme: “It’s Time for Action.”
They were Ghana Education Service (GES), Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources and the Ghana Health Service.
This year’s edition specifically focused on menstrual hygiene management.
In a statement, the GES noted: “It is a fact that too many girls are missing school and their future because of misinformation, myths and harmful practices that relate menstruation.”
It said “about 26 per cent of global population menstruates between two and seven days each month. That’s 3000 days in a lifetime and 7 million girls and women in Ghana.”
The statement further noted that “menstruation affects women and girls differently depending on social norms, customs, education, geography and socio-economic factors.”
Furthermore, it said “each month, women and girls need to manage this with dignity, whether they are at home, school, at work or when travelling.”
The statement highlighted the financial burden of managing menstrual hygiene globally.
BY Melvin Tarlue