Reducing poverty will keep girls in school – Otiko Djabah

Government’s decision to borrow money to buy among other things sanitary pads for female students is a threat to fathers, according to the National Women’s Organizer of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Otiko Afrisah Djabah.

According to her, the decision will offend fathers who cannot provide sanitary pads for their daughters.

“Which father will want to be told he cannot buy sanitary pads for their girl child and that government has gone for a loan for that, you are disgracing the fathers,” she intimated.

She questioned the research which revealed that girls drop out of school due to lack of sanitary pads.

According to Otiko Djabah, poverty is the main reason why girls stay out of school. “I understand that some research people came from Oxford to do that I am very sure that was not the main reason… I am also a researcher and I have worked in the North for twelve years, the main reason is poverty and not sanitary pads”.

Madam Afisah Djabah is of the opinion that reducing poverty by setting up income generating activities instead of sharing sanitary pads is the best way to keep girls in school.

The Gender advocate is therefore asking government to withdraw the policy and apologize for what she considers to be an insult and an embarrassment to the Ghanaians.

“I think it is a very insensitive policy that the government is bringing, this is contrary to our culture and to our sensibilities as well, it is extremely insensitive and on behalf of all women I call on government to apologize and withdraw”. She stressed.