Parents urged to prioritise menstrual hygiene of children

Mrs Patricia Osei Amponsah, the Focal Person for Gender and Child Protection of The Hunger Project-Ghana (THP), has urged parents to prioritise menstrual hygiene of their girl children.She observed that parents providing menstrual needs such as sanitary pads would improve their children's menstrual hygiene and prevent social vices, which often led to teenage girls dropping out of school.At a community durbar at Boti Epicentre in the Eastern Region on menstrual health/hygiene education to commemorate the World Menstrual Hygiene Day, Mrs Osei Amponsah called on parents to step up their roles to protect their girl children.She shared the story of some teenage mothers, who, due to the lack of sanitary pads and other needs, compelled them to have sexual encounters with men to be able to buy the pads during their menses.She said myths and stereotyping surrounding menstruation often created a barrier for parents and communities to talk about it and urged mothers not to shy away from engaging their girls.Mr s Osei said as part of THP-Ghana's Maternal Health and Child Improvement Project, communities were educated on sexual and reproductive health of girls to improve their wellbeing, particularly in the rural areas.'So, for us menstrual hygiene for girls and women is a very key component of our operations since we work with scattered farming communities within our epicentres,' she added.The Menstrual Hygiene Day is celebrated on May 28 to advocate better access to menstrual products, education and sanitation facilities to ensure girls managed their periods freely.The Hunger Project-Ghana is a not-for-profit organisation focused on women and children's welfare by empowering rural communities through the Epicentre strategy to end poverty and hunger.Source: Ghana News Agency