MPs in Heated Clash Over Free Sanitary Pad Policy in 2026 Budget
Ghana’s Parliament witnessed heated exchanges this week as Members of Parliament clashed over the government’s Free Sanitary Pad policy, with sharp disagreements on the actual cost of pads supplied to schoolgirls.
Damian Owusu 
Ghana’s Parliament witnessed heated exchanges this week as Members of Parliament clashed over the government’s Free Sanitary Pad policy, with sharp disagreements on the actual cost of pads supplied to schoolgirls.
During debate on the 2026 Budget Statement, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, NPP MP for Old Tafo, accused government of inflating the cost of sanitary pads under the menstrual hygiene initiative. He argued that in the 2025 budget, government planned to purchase 3.1 million packs at GH¢292 million, but in the 2026 budget, the same GH¢292 million was reported to have procured 6.6 million packs.
Based on his calculations, each pack cost about GH¢45, far above the prevailing market price of GH¢15–25. He described the budget as “robust on the surface but hollow inside,” likening it to a cow dung heap — firm at the top but soft below.
The claims sparked immediate backlash from the Majority side. Haruna Iddrisu, Minister of Education, dismissed Assafuah’s math as “chop bar arithmetics”, insisting the figures were misrepresented. He defended the policy as a critical intervention to support schoolgirls, reduce absenteeism, and promote menstrual hygiene.
The debate quickly escalated into sharp exchanges, with sanitary pad costs becoming a flashpoint in the broader argument over youth development and social welfare spending.
Why It Matters
The Free Sanitary Pad policy was introduced to support girls in schools and improve menstrual hygiene.
Allegations of inflated costs raise concerns about accountability, procurement transparency, and value for money in government social programmes.
The clash reflects wider tensions in Parliament over the 2026 Budget, particularly around youth employment initiatives and welfare spending.
