Education
Launch of the 2022 Free Sanitary Pads Distribution Campaign
- Location
- New City Council Building, Freetown
- Event
- 2 June 2022
- Published
President Julius Maada Bio launched the 2022 distribution campaign in Freetown to mark Menstrual Hygiene Day.
The launch and distribution
The Office of the First Lady led the initiative. After the launch, the President and First Lady distributed hundreds of packs of sanitary pads to pupils from secondary schools in Freetown who attended the event.
Menstrual health and education
The First Lady spoke about removing the shame associated with menstruation and encouraged men to support women and girls. In his keynote address, the President committed to continued support for girls’ education and welfare and highlighted the role of menstrual health education and access to pads in helping pupils stay in school.
Support from the city and partners
Freetown City Council Chief Administrator Festus Kallay linked access to pads with school participation and hygiene. Acting Mayor Osman T. Koroma thanked the Office and its partners, and Chinese Ambassador Hu Zhangliang pledged continued support for efforts of this kind. Irish Embassy representative Emma McLoughlin spoke about the impact of menstruation on pupils. Representatives of the United Nations and GOAL Sierra Leone also addressed the gathering. Deborah Macaulay, a pupil from Methodist Girls High School, spoke about what the First Lady’s work meant to pupils.
