Celebrated Ghanaian Gospel Musician, Diana Hopeson is calling on the Akufo-Addo administration to scrap all taxes on sanitary pads.
According to her, scraping the huge taxes will help improve its patronage.
In an exclusive interview with Thinknewsonline.com in Accra, she said "During my menarche, I was with mixed feelings. Mr. Chairman, I had my menarche at age 12. I felt miserable! In those days, sanitary pads were not common. I discovered Faytex and I used it for a very long time till I couldn’t find them any more on the market. Before then, I heard that women are unclean when they are in their menses. I also heard that in some cultures, such women will not be allowed to cook and do other chores"
"My mother told me, when she realized that I was flowing that, now, you are a woman, if you ever go near a man, you will be pregnant! That scared me of going close to men and boys! Even playing close to my age group especially when I am in my menses!"
"The menarche was not painful and subsequent ones and throughout my teenage years. My colleagues will complain of cramps and weekends but I was fit and okay until in my late 20s. That was my very active ministry days hence, those days in the month was very difficult for me"
"I started to clear my period days to make time for me and my God! I do write a lot during those punier and painful moments of my life. Now, it became the sweet and sour moments. When I got a better understanding of what happens biologically in my body, I stopped taking the pain killers so l will rest. This is because, when I take the medication and the pain is gone, I go working meanwhile, the body needs to rest!"
Stressing on conditions that will ensure good menstrual hygiene, she said "A good knowledge of what menstruation is and what it entails by all girls having access to clean hygienic materials to use during that period and having a good place of convenience both in the home and at school. Anywhere teenage girls reside should have a sanitary box with pad to help the teenage girl easily change when in their menses"
Madam Hopeson hinted that it is about time, myths about menstruation are cleared.
"We are still holy when we menstruate. We need all the support to be granted time to rest when we are in our period. We need to change the negative social norms"
She called on school administrators to make sure that their schools have good washrooms so that the menstruating girl can get a good place to change.
Madam Hopeson stressed that teachers should accommodate girls in such moments.
She appealed to employers to be considerate to the women in the workplace during their menses by allowing them room to rest and recuperate.
They should excuse them from stressful schedules or give them day off’s.
"It is my prayer that Ghana will be a place where every girl or women is empowered to manage her menstruation safely, ( getting the right materials to use) hygienically, with confidence and without shame,” ( girls, let’s be each other’s keeper)"
On her part, the Municipal Director of Education, Krowor, Justina Djaba thanked the organisers for kind gesture.
She also appealed to the boys and men to support girls and women when they are menstruating.
She appealed to the boys and guys to desist from mocking the girls and ladies when they are in their periods.
Founder of the Bonabear Foundation, Ambassador. Bernard Bonarparte said "Menstrual hygiene is key. It is the right if every woman to menstruate, and as long as you want to procreate, there must be menstruation"
"We are very committed to this course and we will ensure that it is done"
The attitude of mocking women is far gone. Boys must be lovers of these girls who menstruate. We must be there for them.
As an NGO, we have been talking about this issue and we think it is time the 20% tax on sanitary pads are scrapped"
Below are some pictures
Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith
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