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Remove tax onsanitary pads – STMA Director of Edu.
● Mrs Sally Coleman addressing the participants
“I am advocating the total abolition of any tax imposed on the importation of sanitary pad so that it becomes affordable for parents to buy for their children,” the Metropolitan Director of Education, Sekondi -Takoradi, Mrs Sally Nelly Coleman, has proposed.
She explained that, the new policy would free girls from “hungry” men who exploited them for sex due to poverty.
“My plea is that the government should make it free for them. Because at times you meet the girl and you ask what made you pregnant, she will sadly say I was in need of sanitary pads.” Mrs Coleman added.
She made the suggestion at a meeting with journalists as part of stakeholders engagement on youth -oriented and gender-sensitive topics in line with the Twin Cities in Sustainable Partnership Project (TCSPP), held at Sekondi in the Western Region.
“One worrying aspect nowadays is that, the children who are in their menstrual ages find it very difficult and that some parents don’t even buy their sanitary pads for them. And it will shock you that some unscrupulous men are in the habit of providing just a sanitary pad and take advantage of these innocent children,” she said.
Mrs Coleman indicated that, she was not asking for more if the government could provide sanitary pads free of charge for girls whose parents could not provide any.
She told the journalists that her suggestion was not meant to encourage teenage pregnancy, noting that, “some students have taken it as a yardstick or as a field day and they are doing their own thing.”
The Education Director urged parents and other stakeholders including social workers team -up with the Ghana Education Service, and the Ghana Health Service to help these school children who now carried pregnancy without any bad feeling.
“The Bible tells us that there’s time for everything. Time to study, time to work, time to marry and the time to have your children. But, they shouldn’t use their time to study to get pregnant”.
Mrs Coleman noted that some parents were shirking their responsibilities, resulting in the kind of situation society found itself and pleaded with caregivers “to sit up if the child needs food, please do it.”
“This is what is happening, and, as leaders in society, we must think outside the box to help our school children,” she said.
The GES, she said, had intensified counseling units to help curb teenage pregnancies.
Mrs Coleman stressed “That is why we are here. All of us should put our minds together and see how best we can solve it. We are not here to talk about provision of infrastructure. We’ve spoken about these things for far too long. There is attitude that is eating up academic performance.
“We need to help the children and change such attitude. For, today they are children but tomorrow, they are going to lead this country and what kind of leadership skills are we giving them to run the system?”
The Western Regional Coordinator of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVSSU), Superintendent Setina Aboagye, also indicated that some parents were failing to supply the necessities of life like maintenance and also re-fuse to take care of their children.
From Clement Adzei Boye, Sekondi
The Vice President, Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has called for stronger action to promote gender equity and create more opportunities for women in the workplace.
She made the call in a Facebook post after joining staff at the Presidency of Ghana to mark International Women’s Day.
The celebration was held under the theme “From Commitment to Action: Promoting Equity for Every Woman in the Workplace” and focused on recognising the achievements of women while reflecting on the work needed to ensure equal opportunities.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang extended warm wishes to women across Ghana and noted that women have always played key roles in the country’s communities and economic activities.
According to her, women in the past served as healers, traders and queen mothers who contributed to leadership and governance in traditional societies.
She explained that Ghana’s cultural history shows that women have long provided knowledge, leadership and innovation to help develop communities.
The Vice President however noted that current disparities require society to examine systems and structures that may have limited opportunities for women.
She stressed that advancing gender equity will require deliberate actions and the mentoring of young women to prepare them for leadership roles.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang recognised women whose work takes place in markets, streets and small trading spaces across the country.
According to her, these women form the backbone of local economies and continue to demonstrate resilience despite the difficult conditions they face.
She commended women working at the Presidency for their dedication and leadership and reaffirmed the need to promote respect, fairness and opportunity for every woman.
The Vice President further called on both men and women to work together to break barriers and ensure that women can fully contribute to Ghana’s development.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Diaspora Affairs Office at the Office of the President has hosted a delegation of African diaspora women who are in Ghana ahead of a planned Presidential Conferment of Citizenship ceremony.
The Director of Diaspora Affairs, Kofi Okyere Darko, explained in a Facebook post that the visit was a gesture of appreciation by the delegation to the Government of Ghana for its continued efforts to reconnect Africans in the diaspora with their ancestral homeland.
He indicated that the ceremony, scheduled for next Monday, will officially grant Ghanaian citizenship to members of the delegation as part of the country’s broader engagement with the African diaspora.
The delegation was led by Erica Bennett, Founder of the Diaspora Africa Forum.
According to Mr Okyere Darko, her years of advocacy have played an important role in strengthening ties between Africa and people of African descent living abroad.
He noted that the group’s journey towards citizenship represents not only a legal process but also a cultural and spiritual return to their roots.
Also present at the meeting was Natalie Jackson, an attorney who is also expected to receive Ghanaian citizenship during the ceremony. She works closely with renowned civil rights lawyer Ben Crump.
Mr Okyere Darko emphasised that Ghana remains committed to strengthening relationships with the African diaspora and promoting unity, identity, and shared heritage among people of African descent worldwide.
By: Jacob Aggrey
