The Education Minister Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh has called for a collective approach by institutions to change the myths and other social perceptions on menstruation.
He said in spite of the Covid-19 pandemic, there was the need to educate adolescent girls about menstrual hygiene and help deal with various misconceptions.
The Minister was speaking at the Menstrual Hygiene Day Virtual Seminar to mark the World Menstrual Hygiene Day, which is celebrated annually in May.
This year’s event dubbed “It is time for action” was observed using media interviews, short films, among others to sensitise females on good menstrual management practices.
The sessions were used to throw light on the challenges the girls faced, especially during the outbreak of Covid-I9, where financial constraints have limited their purchase of menstrual products.
Dr Prempeh indicated that over 800 million females worldwide menstruate daily and are faced with challenges concerning proper menstrual hygiene.
He said that he was worried some girls go through stigma because of some taboos surrounding the monthly flow.
The Manhyia MP stated that menstruation should not be used to stop women and girls from going to work or school during their periods nor used as a yardstick to prevent them from reaching their potentials.
Dr Opoku Prempeh, therefore, called on stakeholders to empower girls and women to take up their economic opportunities despite the barriers.
Country Director of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Anne-Claire Dufay, said though girls’ absenteeism in school had been associated to their periods, data was needed to back the fact that there were interventions to reduce it.
Director for the School Health Education Programme (SHEP) of the Ghana Education Service, Nana Esi Inkoom, pledged that her outfit together with Non-Governmental Organisations would provide schools with sanitary facilities to assist females to maintain good menstrual hygiene.