The Ghana Civil Society Organizations Platform on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has commended the President, H.E. John Dramani Mahama, for carrying through his campaign promise of providing significant budgetary allocation to the provision of free sanitary pads to young ladies in schools across the country.
The Free Sanitary Pads policy, which was a key campaign message of the National Democratic Congress’ candidate in the 2024 Elections, seeks to provide an adequate supply of sanitary materials to all young ladies in the country—from the basic school level to the Senior High School level—to create a conducive atmosphere for them to stay in school at all times, notwithstanding their menstrual health needs.
In a press release dated March 12, 2025, the CSOs Platform commended the Minister of Finance, Hon. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, for following through with the President’s pledge by ensuring that lack of finances or harsh living conditions does not become the reason why girls drop out of school during the academic year due to the stigma associated with not being adequately prepared for their monthly flow (menstrual period), while their colleagues are in school acquiring knowledge.
“The Ghana CSOs Platform on Sustainable Development Goals is really pleased with the government for following through its promise of dedicating part of the state revenue to providing free support to young girls of school-going age across the basic and Senior High School levels of education in the country to enable them handle their menstrual health issues and monthly flows with dignity and pride in the course of the academic year, without dropping out of school due to the unavailability of same sanitary materials, in line with the fulfillment of the SDGs 3, 4, 5, and 8 developed by the United Nations.”
“We also want to commend the previous government also for kick-starting the process of empowering local businesses to produce the sanitary materials locally by removing some aspects of taxes imposed on cost of production, which has been supported in the 2025 budget as well to drive down the cost of the products to match the purchasing power of the consumers of these products as well. Once these waivers are fully implemented, the prices of these essential items for the health and dignity of our young girls will be drastically reduced to affordable rates.”
The CSOs Platform also reiterated some policy measures it believes will help tackle long-standing challenges that prevent young people—especially girls—from living in good health and dignity regarding menstrual health issues in the country, as part of achieving the SDGs.
“As a developing country, focused on fully meeting the standards of SDGs 3, 4, 5 and 8, we are advocating for the establishment of a multi-year funding mechanism dedicated for effective distribution and allocation of resources in those critical sectors for maximum impact.”
“Secondly, the government must set up monitoring and evaluation teams that will work expeditiously on removing fully the stated taxes on the production of sanitary materials, which will drive down the prices for the consuming public and preserve the health and dignity of the Ghanaian woman.”
The statement concluded by admonishing the relevant authorities to liaise with both local and foreign development partners to create a competitive business environment for companies focused on the production of sanitary materials to access cheap and quick credit facilities to enhance their production and meet market demands.
The group further called on the government and local authorities to develop a gender-centered policy to provide adequate and quality WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) facilities across the country to cater to the hygiene needs of the female population in the short to medium term.
The Ghana Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) Platform on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was established in October 2015 and institutionalized in 2016 to ensure more coordinated civil society efforts in achieving the SDGs in Ghana.
It includes over 560 member organizations, coalitions, unions, community-based organizations, and local, national, and international organizations, including religious groups, with members spread across the districts and regions of Ghana.
Press Statement Free Distribution of Sanitary Pads 2025 Final–CSO Platform on SDGs.
