By: Sarah Baafi
Delivering his 2026 State of the Nation Address at Parliament House on Friday, February 27, 2026, President John Dramani Mahama placed a spotlight on menstrual health management, reiterating the government’s commitment to the free sanitary pads initiative aimed at ending period poverty and boosting girls’ school attendance.
President Mahama told lawmakers that the implementation of the government’s national guidelines on sanitary pads for school girls is “not merely a 4‑hour rate, but a sound, pragmatic investment” in the nation’s future. He said the programme promotes equity, strengthens community ties, and ensures that girls across Ghana are equipped with necessary menstrual health supplies and knowledge to stay in school without interruption.
The President highlighted that the initiative is grounded in empowering young girls with dignity and basic health necessities, noting that access to sanitary products is critical to keeping female students in classrooms and reducing drop‑out rates, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
His address followed details from the 2026 national budget, which allocated significant funding for free sanitary pads for female students in primary and secondary schools as part of broader social intervention programmes. The practice supports earlier policy commitments by the government to help reduce barriers to education, especially for girls.
“We see this programme as essential to achieving equal opportunity in education, and a step toward greater gender equity in Ghana’s development story,” the President said as he called on all stakeholders, including educators, local governments, and families, to support its effective rollout.
The President’s remarks come amid sustained advocacy from civil society and education groups who have long argued that period poverty remains a significant barrier to girls’ education and well‑being in Ghana.
Parliamentarians from both sides of the aisle welcomed the focus on menstrual hygiene management and pledged to work with the executive to ensure that the policy translates into tangible improvements in schools nationwide.
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Source:
www.gbcghanaonline.com