Source: Ohene Amponsah

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The donation forms part of efforts by the company to promote safe menstruation among girls.

The sanitary pads/ towels were donated in commemoration of the 2024 Menstrual Hygiene Day under the theme “Together for a Period Friendly World”.

The beneficiary schools include Artic school, Asonkore M/A school, Pomposo MA school, Ahmadiyya school, Top Angels, Freedom Academy, St Margaret School and the 31st December School at Bogobiri.

World Menstrual Hygiene Day is observed globally on May 28, every year as an annual awareness day to highlight the importance of good menstrual hygiene management on the global level.

Project Manager of UMA, Darren Howard said the donation was to educate the girls on the need to observe safe menstruation.

He said the company was aware of the dire challenges girls experience during their menstrual period.

“We are not oblivious to what some girls go through during menstruation. Some decide to stay out of school whiles others battle with stigmatization so we came around to motivate and support them on how to tackle issues of menstruation”, he said.

Training Coordinator of UMA, Yvonne Asabere indicated that they seized the opportunity to inspire the schoolgirls to recognize the need to stay safe and observe clean menstruation.

“We came with female engineers as role models to motivate the girls to have confidence and trust in their abilities. This, we believe was well carried out since we shared our experiences with them”, Mrs. Asabere emphasized.

Sarah Appiah, a Midwife at the AGA Health Foundation, took participants through the four phases of the menstrual cycle.

This, she said, includes menstruation, the follicular phase, ovulation, and the luteal phase.

She also in a practical demonstration, taught the schoolgirls how to wear sanitary pads.

National Project manager – UMA, Lawrence Turkson said the company has been supporting female related activities and women empowerment programs over the years.

He said as a company, they remain resolute in their quest to promote the interest of women hence the donations.

“Observing Menstrual Hygiene Day, UMA aligns with the global ambition to attain a period friendly world and advised young girls to remain confident even whiles they stigmatization during menstruation,” he said.

Assembly member for Pomposo-Asonkore electoral area, Richard Obeng commended the company for their support, indicating that they will come as a huge relief for the girls during the period of menstruation.

The beneficiaries lauded the company for the donation and education.

They spoke extensively on how difficult it is for them to access sanitary pads and called on government and other institutions for support.

It is hoped the move will improve access to education in a country where many cannot afford sanitary products like pads and tampons.

According to the UN’s education agency, one in 10 girls in sub-Saharan Africa misses school during their period.

Some girls reportedly lose 20% of their education for this reason, making them more likely to drop out of school altogether.

The amendment to the education act, signed into law by President Uhuru Kenyatta this week, states “free, sufficient and quality sanitary towels” must be provided to every girl registered at school, as well as providing “a safe and environmental sound mechanism for disposal”.

It comes more than a decade after Kenya scrapped taxes on sanitary products in an effort to make them more affordable.

Despite this, some 65% of women and girls still find them to expensive, according to figures cited in a 2016 report by non-profit consulting firm FSG.

As a result, charities like the ZanaAfrica Foundation have been providing sanitary pads for girls around the country.

The move to legislate the provision of sanitary towels to school-going adolescent girls has been well received by many Kenyans.

Since 2011, the Kenyan government has been setting aside funds to buy and distribute the commodity to girls from disadvantaged backgrounds.

In the 2017-2018 financial year, $5m has been budgeted for that purpose, up from $4m in the current year ending this month.

The new legal provision, however, requires government to provide the towels to every school-going girl who has reached puberty – it becomes an obligation rather than an option – so it will require a bigger budget.

There generally exists non-partisan political goodwill to fulfil this goal.

But the authorities will need to ensure the prudent use of that money to ensure every girls who needs the sanitary towels gets them.

School management teams will be charged with the responsibility of purchasing and distributing the towels.

The high price of sanitary products and the impact on girls’ education is not just a problem in Kenya.

According to a 2014 campaign, girls are also missing school in countries like India, Nepal, Afghanistan and Sierra Leone for the same reason.

The issue has not just caused issues in developing countries.

Freedom4Girls – which usually provides sanitary pads to girls in Kenya – was asked to step in by a school in Leeds in northern England which was concerned about girls missing school.

One teenager told BBC Radio Leeds that she “wrapped a sock around my underwear” just to get through the school day.