The women’s wing of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Oti Region has donated sanitary pads to about 300 girls in the Nkwanta South Municipality of the Oti Region.

The donation led by the Oti Regional women organiser of the NDC and constituency women organizers from the nine constituencies in the region, presented the pads at the Nkwanta Senior High school to help the girls manage their monthly periods safely, hygienically and without shame.

Madam Paulina Magyam, the Oti Regional Women Organizer in an interview with Ghana News Agency said, this donation comes as part of the activities of women’s wing of the NDC to commemorate this year’s Menstrual Hygiene Day.

She, however, urged the girls on the need for personal and menstrual hygiene and not to use menstrual period as an excuse for low performance in class.

‘We are calling on the government to consider reducing or even if possible, scraping the income tax on sanitary pads in this country. Because the taxes on the sanitary pads make it difficult for our young girls to patronise it and use during their menstrual period since the hikes in sanitary pads is so high that they cannot afford.

‘This situation is affecting most of our girls in school which some are compelled to either use paper, toilet rolls, handkerchiefs, tissue, absent themselves from school or even give themselves out to men for them to get money just to buy pads which is very worrying,’ she noted.

The beneficiaries thanked the NDC women’s wing for their kind gesture because this donation will go a long way as far as menstrual period is concerned.

They stressed that some of the irregularities during that period were really affecting their performances in class because sometimes they are compelled to stay in the house since they cannot afford pads and to avoid being disgraced in the class.

They, however, called on other groups to also come to their aid.

Madam Mercy Adwoa Kumah, Girl Child Coordinator for Nkwanta Senior High school commended the donors for the donation, adding that it would go a long way in boosting the confidence level of the girls since a lot of things happen during those periods.

She said sometimes she feels sorry for those who could not afford just a pad to manage their menstrual period with the stigma of staining their uniforms a reality.

Source: Ghana News Agency