Atebubu Marks ‘World Menstrual Hygiene Day’

The Community Initiative Foundation CIF, a non-governmental organization with support from World Vision Ghana has marked this years ‘World Menstrual Hygiene Day’ with a sensitization programme for about 200 school pupils mainly girls in Atebubu.

Welcoming participants, the Executive Director of CIF Mr. Gibson Samoah said the day was instituted to normalize the action of menstruation and the importance of access to hygiene during this time.

“The day helps us to ensure that awareness is increased regarding access to menstrual hygiene that women have across the world. It is a basic human right that women worldwide are given the right materials to collect blood during this time, and that this material is changed in total privacy.” He stated.

Mr. Samoah said it is important for young girls to understand that menstruation is a biological fact adding that it is imperative that any stigma regarding it is stopped.

“Some of the most pressing issues facing the world today are linked to menstrual hygiene and women’s lack of access to basic sanitation.” He said.

The Executive Director quoted statistics from the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO which indicates that one out of ten African girls miss school because of menstruation.

Officials of the Reproductive Child Health unit of the Atebubu government hospital took the pupils through the definition of menstrual hygiene, types of sanitary pads and the appropriate use of sanitary pads.

Pupils were asked to ensure that they bath and change their pads at least 2 times daily during menstruation to avoid infections and body odor.

There was a role play on the ills of child marriages.

The pupils had earlier gone on a procession bearing placards some of which read ‘menstruation is a normal condition’ ‘no more discrimination’ and ‘your mother is one of us’.