FHUC ‘PADS UP A GIRL’ IN COMMEMORATION OF WORLD MENSTRUAL HYGIENE DAY
On the occasion of Menstrual Hygiene Day 2024, the Family Health University College, which comprises the Family Health Hospital, Medical School and the School of Nursing & Midwifery, donated over 1500 packets of sanitary pads to students from the Ledzokuku Municipal Authority (LEKMA) Southern Cluster of Schools.
The gesture according to the President of the Family Health Medical students’ Association, Abeiku Zuirel Idun, is to mitigate the distress some girls go through during their menstrual periods.
Menstrual Hygiene Day, observed world wide on 28th May each year, is a day dedicated to raising awareness about difficulties women and girls face during menstruation.
Various stake holders, including health professionals, gender activists, educators, NGOs, conscientious citizens, strive to provide education and support to eradicate period poverty and its detrimental effect.
The theme for this year is, ‘Together For A Period-Friendly World’, which envisions a world free from the stigma taboos associated with menstruation.
At the event which was held at the Presbyterian Church Hall, Teshie, the LEKMA Municipal Director of Education, Mrs. Theresa Tetteh, emphasised the need for more support for girls to manage their period safely and confidently.
she expressed her gratitude to the Family Health University College and urged other organisations, donors, and public to follow suit to support girls in underprivileged communities who straggle to access menstrual products.
Dr, Gifty Ofori Ansah, the LEKMA Health Director, called for prioritizing menstrual hygiene policy in the government’s Girl Child Education agenda.
She encouraged girls to seek professional help and guidance from their counsellors and teachers about menstrual hygiene challenges.
Dr. Naa Adorkor Sodzi-Tettey, a lecturer, and clinical at the Family Health Medical School, educated the girls about menstruation and safe practices. She emphasised that menstruation is a natural and normal process and should not be stigmatised.
She called on the LEKMA Municipal Director of Education to prioritise and improve washroom facilities. “We cannot educate girls every year to change their pads regularly and wash their hands after changing when there is no decent place in the school for doing that: no privacy, no water, no soap” she said.
She called for innovative and sustainable solutions for a period friendly world for our girls. She told the students that there is no shame in using reusable materials for their periods if the reusables are washed very well, dried, and reused. She demonstrated the use of a reusable menstrual product that is being produced by some entrepreneurs and NGOs, and encouraged their patronage.
In conclusion, the event was a success, with over 600 girls from the 17 Junior and Senior High Schools from the LEKMA Southern Cluster of Schools benefiting from the interaction with the Staff and Students of Family Health University College on acceptable menstrual practices. The students express their gratitude for the sanitary pads and the education they received.
