Let's kick off the dialogue on Menstrual and health hygiene to mark the month of the International Menstrual hygiene day - Her Excellency Amerley Ollennu Awua - Asamoa

Ghana's former Ambassador to Denmark, Her Excellency Amerley Ollennu Awua - Asamoa and currently the Executive Director of the Association of African Women in Development has entreated Ghanaians to come together to kick-off dialogue on menstrual health and hygiene.

The UN has declared 28th May every year as the International Menstrual hygiene day, a day set aside to talk about menstrual hygiene and its related challenges.

To mark the month of the International menstrual hygiene day,28th of May, the Association of African Women in Development, Hope for Future Generations, and Youth Foundation are partnering with Real Relief, Global Goals World Cup (GGWC), UNYA Denmark, and partners in 26 countries, in kicking off a transitional dialogue on menstrual health throughout May.

 
Activities to kick off dialogue on the menstrual health and hygiene day started in Denmark by symbolically kicking a football, with the SDGs printed on it from country to country as such each country has dedicated one campaign day and ours is today Her Excellency Amerley Ollennu Aqua - Asamoa explained.

The difficulties facing girls and women across the worldrregardingingt menstrual health and hygiene are numerous and unacceptable.

Executive Director of the Association of African Women in Development further explained that the topic of menstrual health continues to be a taboo subject to shame and stigma, and the lack of access to information, education, and products to manage one's period with dignity and pride are essential.

According to her more than 500 million girls and women worldwide are not able to manage their period hygienically and with dignity. Ultimately, this puts girls and women at risk of infection and disease of early pregnancy and of missing out on education.

With this campaign we share a common goal of putting menstrual hygiene on agenda, we will do so concerning the sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations (SDGs) as we kick off the dialogue, we aim to improve girls' and women's health, rights and opportunities for quality education, gender equality and safe sanitation and hygiene (SDG 3,4,5) she said.

To address the issue of inadequate hygienic-sanitary products to manage one's period Her Excellency Amerley Ollennu Aqua  - Asamoa distributed Real Relief Safepad to a cross-section of girls from some Senior High schools and hairdressers association at Wenchi in the Bono Region.

She seized the opportunity to urge the public and philanthropic organizations to support the production of reusable safepad in larger quantities for distribution to the vulnerable girls and women.

The Safepad hygienic-sanitary pad is unique with a 2-year warranty and designed with a permanently bonded antimicrobial technology that helps in reducing vaginal infections, the permanently bonded antimicrobial fabric along with highly absorbent material provides a comfortable and hygienic experience for the women.

Her Excellency Amerley Ollennu Aqua - Asamoah disclosed this during the launching of the campaign ahead of the In

International Menstrual Hygiene Day at Wenchi in the Bono Region.

Honorable Alexander Obour Damoah, the Wenchi Municipal Chief Executive thanked H. E Amerley Ollennu Aqua - Asamoah for the initiative and support for the wellbeing of our young ladies.

" I see this initiative as a timely intervention to save our young ladies from whatever challenges they face in maintaining personal hygiene" 

The MCE urged girls and women to be ambassadors and preach the good news about the initiative to their peers to equally save them from similar challenges they are facing.

 Partners countries include       
Denmark, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, DRC Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Laos, Liberia, India, Namibia, Nepal, Ecuador, Malawi, Myanmar, Pakistan, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Nigeria, Sr, LankaUganda Zambia, and Zimbabwe. 

Source: soireenews.com/ Nana Anfreh Damanata