Let her Know is an empowering initiate that seeks to equip all women and girls about Sexual Reproductive Health and Menstrual Hygiene to help them realize their full potentials.
Menstrual hygiene is an issue that every woman of reproductive age is faced with in Ghana. Female students in Ghana are insufficiently informed about reproductive health in general and in particular about the process of menstruation as well as the physical and psychological changes associated with puberty and adolescence. In Ghana, the issue of menstruation is rarely mentioned publicly, due to cultural taboos.
Furthermore, there is no mandate in the Ghana educational institutions to help girls in managing their Menstrual periods. Neither are their gender-friendly school toilets nor is there readiness on the part of the teachers to assist menstruating girls through the provision of advice or information.
Moreover, talking about menstruation is a taboo in most societies, and this contributes to the ignorance and illiteracy of menstrual hygiene management. Using old clothes and other traditional unsafe methods to deal with menstruation hampers mobility and day to day activity of women.
The result is that they have to miss out on school as well as other daily commitments during this period. Therefore, the absence of appropriate sanitary materials to absorb menstrual flow does not only affect female’s reproductive health but their acquisition of education.
Before the introduction of sanitary pads, various materials such as ash, feather, soil, cotton wool, cloth, old pieces of mattresses, newspapers among others, were used by women to soak the menstrual blood. Some of these inappropriate blood soaking materials which may be contaminated by infective organisms are still being used by females especially those in rural or impoverished urban areas thereby exposing them to avoidable reproductive tract infections.
The selection and use of appropriate sanitary products in Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) is therefore important to safeguard the health of the post-pubescent female. For less developed countries, attainment of Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 2 which seeks to achieve universal primary education; MDG 3, promoting gender equality and empower women and MDG 5, which is to reduce maternal mortality by three-quarters would be expedited if they provide more support for women during menstruation.
Also, the voice of young women must be heard if they are ever going to contribute fully to their country and the world as a whole. Girls must be taught to express themselves articulately to build their charisma so that they can claim a more active role in their society.
Again, in most societies, women have little to no say on the issues affecting them, such as governance, allocation of resources, marriage, childbearing, etc. Right from the family level, women should be participants in the decision-making process. Therefore, this project will help in inspiring young girls and own their voices and speak for themselves
Project Goals
To mentor the Girl child
Having mentors equip the girls with concepts such as confidence, bravery, assertiveness, knowledge on the importance of education to help them gain as much information as possible. Girls who have been taught how to be confident, brave and assertive are more likely to get the talent and development skills in their school environment, this will lead to having more women leaders in position and it’s at points such as these that they get to change the world positively through direct policies implemented hence economically empowering themselves and generations to come.
Educating them on Sexual and Reproductive Health
Educating girls and their parents on sexual and reproductive health rights is very vital to an empowered future generation of girls. Being aware of their sexuality and reproductive health will help these girls in making informed decisions that will make positive impacts on their lives.
Providing Leadership Space
Of all the activities for women’s empowerment, we believe providing a path to leadership is the most instrumental. It does not only instill confidence but also puts women at a level where they will be able to empower other women. In a male-dominated society, affirmative action is the only way of helping women achieve leadership roles Girls at a young age should also be taught to depend on themselves for finances and well-being and not depend solely on men. This is so in the African culture, where men are seen as the sole providers for the family.
Get Involved
Starlight Foundation is appealing to individuals, corporate institutions, Non-Governmental Organizations, and all Ghanaians to sponsor or partner with us to make a difference in the lives of these underprivileged ones who find themselves in such unfortunate circumstances.