Women in Prison Use Tissue Rolls and Bed Sheets During Their Periods- Ministry of Gender

Gideon Nicholas Day 11:50 - 28 May 2026

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Nelly Bernice Wollace, Legal Advisor to the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection

Women in Ghana's prisons often use tissue rolls and used bed sheets during their periods due to a lack of sanitary pads, prompting calls for support through the Pad for Prisons initiative.

Women in Ghana's prisons are often forced to rely on tissue rolls and used bed sheets to manage their periods due to a lack of access to sanitary products, Nelly Bernice Wollace, Legal Advisor to the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, has revealed.

Speaking at the launch and fundraising event for the Fallon Foundation's Pad for Prisons initiative, Wollace highlighted the difficult realities faced by incarcerated women and called for greater support to ensure they have access to basic menstrual hygiene products.The event, held at the Best Western Plus Hotel and supported by Pulse Ghana, sought to raise awareness and mobilise resources for female inmates across the country.Drawing from her experience as a mother, Wollace emphasised the importance of sanitary products to the wellbeing and dignity of women.

Nelly Bernice Wollace, Legal Advisor to the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection

"All my children are female, so I understand what sanitary pads mean for women," she said.

According to her, imprisonment leaves many women with little or no means of obtaining essential sanitary products.

"For women behind bars, I think this will go a long way to help them because when you are there, you cannot afford to buy some due to a lack of funds, and you cannot even go out to buy them when the need arises," she said.

You are incarcerated. Your freedom is curtailed. You cannot simply walk out and say, 'I'm going to buy some.'"

Wollace noted that the absence of sanitary pads often forces inmates to resort to unhygienic and undignified alternatives.

Organiser and CEO of RONEL, Nii Martey the founder

"When these items are not provided, it becomes a real challenge. Every month, they go through a lot, having to use tissue rolls or bed sheets, and sometimes these bed sheets are not even clean because they have already been used. It is really not the best situation," she explained.

The Pad for Prisons initiative aims to provide sanitary pads and menstrual hygiene products to women in correctional facilities across Ghana while drawing attention to the broader issue of menstrual health among vulnerable groups.

Commending the Fallon Foundation for the intervention, Wollace said the project would have a significant impact on the lives of incarcerated women and urged Ghanaians to support the cause.The initiative's organisers hope the campaign will help restore dignity, comfort and hope to thousands of women in prisons, ensuring that menstruation does not become an additional hardship during incarceration.

Medical doctor and Special Guest , Dr Vanessa Aseye Atikpui

Pulse Ghana partnered with the Fallon Foundation for the launch and fundraising event as part of efforts to amplify conversations around menstrual health, dignity and support for vulnerable women in society.