Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has announced that all sanitary pads distributed under the government’s free sanitary pad programme will be produced locally, following a firm directive from President John Dramani Mahama.
Addressing the media at the mid-year review of education sector policies and government programmes held at the Presidency on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, the Minister said the President had made it clear that no imported sanitary pads should be used in the initiative aimed at supporting schoolgirls across the country.
“Whilst I have some firm instructions from the President—and the Ghanaian people once again need to appreciate him for that—he’s instructed that no sanitary pad be procured from outside Ghana and that all of it be produced and manufactured locally,” Iddrisu stated.
The move, according to the Minister, reflects a dual objective: improving menstrual hygiene and school attendance among girls while boosting local industry and job creation through domestic manufacturing.
The free sanitary pad programme is part of a broader government effort to address period poverty, a persistent challenge affecting the education and wellbeing of many schoolgirls, especially in rural and low-income communities.
Studies have shown that lack of access to menstrual hygiene products can lead to increased absenteeism and school dropouts among girls.
