ACCRA, Ghana – 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 ($1.43) 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.