Inmates to produce 20% of sanitary pads, 30% of school furniture and uniforms – Muntaka

The Ministry for the Interior is in advanced discussions with the Ministry of Education to allow the Ghana Prisons Service to contribute significantly to the government’s Free Sanitary Pad Distribution Programme and the production of school furniture and uniforms.

This was revealed by Interior Minister Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka during Day One of the Government Accountability Series on Monday, July 14, 2025.

According to the Minister, the proposed collaboration aims to make the Prisons Service responsible for producing 20% of the sanitary pads under the new initiative, as well as 30% of all school furniture and 30% of school uniforms distributed by the government.

“The Interior Ministry is in talks with the Ministry of Education to sign MoU to enable the prison services to produce 20% of the sanitary pad for the free sanitary pad initiative. To produce 30% of all school furniture and to produce 30% of school uniforms government is giving out. And this we are doing is to make sure that our reformative programmes withing our prisons is changed completely,” Muntaka stated.

President John Dramani Mahama launched the Free Sanitary Pad Distribution Programme in April 2025 to promote gender equality and improve school attendance among girls.

The initiative provides free sanitary pads to girls from Primary 5 through senior high school across the country, helping to ensure menstrual dignity and support the education of vulnerable students.

The Interior Minister noted that the initiative not only supports national development goals but also enhances skills training and rehabilitation efforts within the country’s prison system.