The Police Ladies Association (POLAS) of the Ghana Police Service in the Ashanti Region, Training School chapter, is advocating for inclusive menstrual hygiene education for young girls across the country.
Drawing from their experiences with girls who have either come into conflict with the law or have had interactions with the legal system, the group expresses concern that most young girls are unable to properly manage their menstrual issues or afford sanitary products.
In celebration of World Menstrual Hygiene Day, the group visited four schools in the Ashanti Region on May 31, 2024. These schools were Wamase M/A School, Santasi M/A School, Atwima Amanfrom SDA School, and Nyankyerenease Methodist School. The group donated eighty boxes of sanitary products and panties, worth fifty thousand Ghana cedis, to alleviate the burden of buying sanitary pads for the girls.
This initiative aimed to prevent girls from missing school during their periods. The group also provided extensive education to young girls on how to manage their menstrual hygiene.
A Staff Instructor at the Ashanti Regional Police Training School, Superintendent Lydia Acheampong Ntow, stated that the exercise served as an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the young girls and bridge the perceived gap of enmity between the Ghana police and young children.
She explained, “We often interact with girls who have either committed a crime or have been involved with the law in some way, such as those who go missing or serve as witnesses. Conversations with them reveal that some have dropped out of school due to the inability to afford sanitary pads. So, we, the women at the police training school, decided to take action to help these young girls.”
She added, “Often when children misbehave, they are threatened with the phrase ‘the police are coming, so I will let the police arrest you.’ This has created a sense of enmity between us, the police, and the children. This initiative is also a way of bridging that gap, helping them understand that the police are their friends.”
Pw Lance Corporal Dorcas Pomaa further emphasized that the Ghana Police Service’s role extends beyond protecting lives to impacting lives, highlighting the need for support for young girls.
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