Plan International Ghana has commended the Government of Ghana for its historic allocation of Gh₵292.4 million in the 2025 Financial Budget to distribute free sanitary pads to female students in primary and secondary schools.
This initiative, which fulfills President John Dramani Mahama’s 2024 manifesto promise, marks a significant milestone in the fight against menstrual poverty and the promotion of gender equality in Ghana.
Menstrual poverty remains a critical barrier to the well-being, education, and development of women and girls, particularly in rural areas.
The government’s commitment to providing free sanitary pads will alleviate these challenges and empower girls to manage their menstrual health with dignity and confidence.
Plan International Ghana recognizes the profound impact this initiative will have on the lives of girls, especially those in underserved rural communities.
Plan International Ghana has long been at the forefront of efforts to address menstrual poverty and promote gender equality.
Through various interventions, projects, and initiatives, the organization has advocated for the removal of taxes on sanitary pads, distributed disposable and reusable sanitary pads to vulnerable adolescent girls, and promoted menstrual health and hygiene education.
Some of Plan International Ghana’s key achievements include, Distributing disposable sanitary pads to over 100,000 vulnerable adolescent girls, Training females to produce reusable sanitary products and distributing them to over 50,000 vulnerable adolescent girls, Providing menstrual health and hygiene education to reduce school absenteeism, Constructing over 100 Girl-Friendly latrines in schools across Ghana, Providing mechanized and hand-pump water facilities in schools and communities
As the distribution of free sanitary pads is imminent, Plan International Ghana urges the government to ensure effective implementation, particularly in hard-to-reach rural areas where the need is greatest.
The organization also calls for sustained investment in menstrual health education and the provision of adequate sanitation facilities in schools to complement this initiative.
The government’s initiative is a significant step towards creating a future where every girl in Ghana can thrive, free from the barriers of menstrual poverty.
Plan International Ghana remains committed to working with the government, communities, and other stakeholders to advance menstrual health and gender equality.
About Plan International
Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.
We believe in the power and potential of every child but know this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion, and discrimination. And it is girls who are most affected.
Working together with children, young people, supporters, and partners, we strive fo a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges girls and vulnerable children face.
We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood, and we enable children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity.
We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national, and global levels using our reach, experience, and knowledge.
For over 85 years, we have rallied other determined optimists to transform the lives o all children in more than 80 countries We won’t stop until we are all equal.
