Ministry of Gender, Children & Social Protection & others Laud Secondary Education Improvement Project

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has expressed surprise at reactions by some members of the public and Parliamentarians on the scholarship component of the Secondary Education Improvement Project approved by Parliament on Tuesday.

Under the Project, ten thousand 400 SHS students especially girls will receive scholarship package that will include uniforms, school bags, sanitary pads, shoes and also examination fees as well as transport fares to school. 

Speaking to Radio Ghana, the Minister Nana Oye Lithur said it is unfortunate to single out sanitary pads and
condemn government for the initiative.
 
She noted that this project is one sure way of addressing gender disparity in the educational sector.

A Presidential Staffer, Ceasar Kale says politicising programmes designed to serve the vulnerable does not augur well for national
cohesion. 

Mr. Kale who is a Professional Teacher said there have been occasions where adolescent girls fail to turn up for classes because of lack of sanitary pad to handle their menstruation. 

He therefore urged that government`s programme to use a component of a loan facility to procure sanitary pad for adolescent girls in school
should be supported instead of the condemnation it has received. 

He expressed reservation on how people have resorted to social media with negative comments to ridicule the image of the President.

In a related development, a Reproductive Health and Youth Development Advocate, Boateng Mensah says the government's proposal to provide sanitary pads for
adolescents in school is laudable. 

He however called for a funding source a will be sustainable instead of relying on foreign loans to
support that well-intentioned programme. 

Mr Mensah who is the Executive Director of Philip Foundation, said if the economic conditions of the vulnerable are improved there will be no need to go for loans to provide basic things like sanitary pads. 

This is because the people will be empowered to buy it themselves.


GBC