MONROVIA, LIBERIA: Liberia joined the world Thursday in celebrating World Menstrual Hygiene Day, with a call for budgetary allotment to establish menstrual hygiene facilities across the Country.

The Assistant Program Manager for Public Health Initiative Liberia (PHIL), Katherine Tarley, said the lack of menstrual hygiene facilities at schools across Liberia is causing some girls to drop out of school and to increase teen age pregnancy.

According to Madam Tarley, an assessment report shows that about eighty percent of women in Liberia cannot afford purchasing sanitary pads.

Meanwhile, the PHIL Program Manager is also calling for tax exemption on sanitary pads to ensure the reduction in the price of the product.

Madam Tarley made the call Thursday, May 28, 2020, during the celebration of World Menstrual Hygiene Day and the distribution of sanitary pads to women and girls in Paynesville.

In the meantime, several adolescent and less fortunate girls in the Du Port and Larkpazee Communities have received sanitary pads, with the distribution carried out by Girls-Pad Liberia Incorporated, in commemoration of the Day.

During the distribution in both communities, the Girls-Pad Liberia officials also educated the girls on the usage of sanitary pads.

Speaking at a souvenir program in the Larkpazee Community, Girls-Pad Executive Director, Princess Perry, said the initiative is the Organization’s way of increasing awareness on menstrual health in Liberia.

Miss Perry highlighted the challenges many girls often experience during their menstrual period and called on the Ministry of Education and school authorities to ensure the provision of safe menstrual hygiene facilities at their various learning institutions.

By: Stephen Dorbor