Teenage girls in Anafobisi community in the Bongo District, Upper East Region, have appealed to benevolent bodies to support them with sanitary pads to help them maintain menstrual hygiene.

They made the appeal at a programme organised by the Department of Gender to empower young girls about their trade and reproductive health.

Ms Jennifer Amaale, an apprentice hairstylist, speaking on behalf of her colleague participants, said it was unfortunate that many of their teenage counterparts were getting pregnant and forced into early marriages and attributed it partly to their inability to afford sanitary pads during their menstrual flow, hence relying on men who take undue advantage of them.

“When it's time for you to menstruate and your parents do not have money to give you to buy a pad, then you have to use rags or go to your boyfriend for money because the rags are not comfortable and can disgrace you anytime as it does not ensure full protection”.

She said it was very difficult for teenage girls in the community to take care of themselves as many of their parents could not afford to help them and appealed to the government, benevolent individuals, and NGOs to support them.

Madam Esther Mbilla, a Registered General Nurse with the Bongo District Health Directorate, urged the girls to learn more about their reproductive system and make the right choices with regards to their health.

She said knowing their reproductive health and rights would prevent teenage pregnancies and child marriage that were prevalent among young girls in the rural settings.

She called on teenagers who would not heed to messages of abstinence and were sexually active to visit nearby health facilities for sex education.

Madam Mbilla urged parents to provide their wards with the necessities of life to prevent them certain behaviours that do not augur well for the development of the youth.

Mr James Twene, the Upper East Regional Director of Department of Gender urged young girls to respect their trainers in their respective fields of trade.

He said that would enable a good working environment suitable for imparting knowledge and skills.