Menstrual Poverty: United Pension Trustees calls for end to menstruation stigma

United Pension Trustees is advocating an end to the stigma surrounding menstruation. As part of activities marking Menstrual Hygiene Day, the trustees, in collaboration with the Nkɔsuoɔhene of the Juaben Traditional Area, Nana Awuah-Darko Ampem II, organized a hygiene seminar for junior high school students in the Juaben Municipality and donated sanitary pads and soaps to over 2,000 girls. Samira Nasiru, Head of Investment at United Pension Trustees, said the initiative forms part of the company's social responsibility to support adolescent health, education, and menstrual equity in underserved communities, adding, "Inclusion, empowerment, and community development are core to our values, and this project reflects that. We're always ready to contribute in any way we can to support people."

The event brought together eight schools in the Juaben Municipality, including Anglican JHS, Benevolent Islamic JHS, Presbyterian JHS, RC JHS, STEM JHS, Methodist JHS, MA JHS, and SDA JHS. During the seminar, menstrual health and hygiene experts and Girl Child Education officers educated girls who have reached puberty on proper hygiene practices during and after menstruation. The outreach also extended to boys, who were sensitised on general health issues, teenage pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Yvonne Telfer, Juaben Municipal Girl Child Education Officer, expressed gratitude to United Pension Trustees for its continued support for menstrual hygiene and girl child education.

Ms. Nasiru applauded the government's free sanitary pad initiative for Senior High Schools but urged further interventions, noting that high taxes on sanitary products still make them unaffordable for many women. Mrs. Telfer appealed for logistical support to expand advocacy campaigns in schools, including educational materials, transportation, and training for peer educators. Menstrual Hygiene Day is observed annually on May 28 to raise awareness about the importance of good