After being shamed over bloodstains on her uniform, Ghanaian student Juliet Opoku misses about a week of school each month because her parents, who are farmers, can no longer afford pads.
The cost of pads has more than doubled to 12 Ghanaian cedi from 5 cedi last year in the west African nation, where inflation is about 32%, forcing poorer families like Opoku's to focus on buying food over sanitary products.
"Sanitary pads are very expensive ... I sometimes use toilet roll, baby diapers or a cloth during my menses," added Opoku, who wants to become a nurse.has pushed up the cost of pads in many African nations, driving more girls out of school or to unhygienic alternatives that can cause infections and infertility, say health experts and charities.
Charities say this could have dire consequences for millions of African girls - impacting their education, health and dignity, driving them to have transactional sex with older men - and ultimately worsening gender inequality.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Africa: Period Pad Prices Push Girls Out of School in AfricaPeriod poverty worsens with inflation crisis, as girls trade sex for pads or risk infection by using rags, leaves and cow dung
Read more »
South Africa ready to review 5-year driving licenceTransport minister Fikile Mbalula has recently spoken about amending the five-year validity period that currently applies to driver’s licence cards in South Africa.
Read more »
Foreigners line up for SA’s luxurious rental pads with hefty price tagsUpmarket suburbs around Joburg and Cape Town are fetching rentals of more than R100,000
Read more »
Foreigners line up for SA’s uber luxurious rental pads with hefty price tagsUpmarket suburbs around Joburg and Cape Town are fetching rentals in excess of R100,000 from foreign clients.
Read more »
S.Africa's Exxaro expects coal-fired profit jumpSouth Africa’s Exxaro Resources on Tuesday said it expects half-year profit to rise by as much as 32%, with higher coal prices and sales offsetting the impact of poor rail logistics.
Read more »
Xiaomi 12 Lite Launches in South Africa: Here's the Price + Specs - IT News Africa - Up to date technology news, IT news, Digital news, Telecom news, Mobile news, Gadgets news, Analysis and ReportsChinese electronics group Xiaomi has announced today that its Xiaomi 12 Lite smartphone is now available in South Africa. The Xiaomi 12 Lite packs innovative features within a versatile flagship experience. Specifications: The 12 Lite comes in at just 173g and offers a 7.29mm thin design. It’s of a similar size to the devices of […]
Read more »