A CLEAN “RED DAY”

It is recognised world wide that one of the leading reasons of absenteeism from school by teenage girls is their inability to adequately manage their menstrual hygiene issues. This reason is further cemented by findings from a formative research conducted by Women’s Health to Wealth in 50 communities in the Ashanti and the Bono regions from June to August 2022. One critical issue in the menstrual hygiene management was the type of material used by girls to staunch menstrual flow. Materials used included rags, baby diapers, and toilet paper among other things. Less than 10 percent of the girls could consistently acquire and use approved sanitary materials due to the cost of such materials.

In teaching menstrual hygiene management to members of the Girls Clubs Project in 50 schools in the Bono and Ashanti regions, Women’s Health to Wealth provided each member with a feminine hygiene kit to address the challenges identified. The hygiene kit contains four months supply of sanitary pads, a cake of soap, a 200ml bottle of hand sanitizer, and a hand towel, a small zip lock bag to store a pad or two to take to school.

In the last quarter of 2022, a total of 1,513 feminine hygiene kits and 1,800 toothbrushes were distributed to girls in 50 Girls Clubs in the Ashanti and Bono regions for good menstrual hygiene management. We hope that through this intervention, girls in Junior High School will be more happier and active to go to school during their menstrual period, reducing absenteeism among these girls.