Menstrual Hygiene Day is an annual awareness creation day on May 28 to help create awareness about the fundamental role that good menstrual hygiene management can play in enabling girls to reach their full potential. Every year on this day, civil society organizations and government agencies including the media advocate for the importance of good menstrual hygiene management. Research has shown that over 800 million young girls menstruate every day, yet some girls in the rural areas face barriers to properly manage their periods. The district education and health directorate of the Ahafo Ano South West District Assembly in collaboration with Women's Health to Wealth, a non-governmental organization have celebrated this year's menstrual hygiene day with a float in the principal streets of Mankranso with pupils from some selected schools in the district. The girls were holding placards with inscriptions "break the taboo around periods, menstruation is not a choice, menstruation is neither a curse or a disease, stop taxing my period, remove taxes on period products and many others." The students were accompanied by their teachers, health and education officers and the police during the float. Some of the girls told Smart Amo of Information Services Department that, the awareness will help them do away with fear and shame when they menstruate. The pupils converged at the forecourt of the district assembly to present their petition to the District Chief Executive. The district director of education, Justine Kwasi Gbortor urged the girls not to be shy when they menstruate because it is not a taboo. He further encouraged them to go to school during their periods. A petition signed by 800 pupils (girls) was presented to the DCE by the district health director, Reuben Bedzera. Presenting the petition on behalf of the girls, he said the adolescent reproductive health is very important to the growth of every young girl so the purpose of the petition is to draw the attention of government to abolish taxes on menstrual products to make it relatively cheaper for every girl. According to him, because sanitary pads are expensive, some girls use newspapers, tissue and their soaks which is not good to their health. Receiving the petition, the DCE for Ahafo Ano South West District Assembly, Hon Joseph Frimpong Bonsu assured them that, he and his coordinating director, Paul Atsu Agbezudor will put the necessary documents on the petition and push it to the appropriate quarters for it to be addressed. Edith Akorfa Agordzo, midwifery officer from Mankranso government hospital and Julia Amenyo, the district health education officer took the girls through sexual adolescent reproductive health education at the Mankranso Senior High School. This year's theme for the Global Menstrual Hygiene Day is "Making menstruation a normal fact of life by 2030'" Story by: Emmanuel Smart Amo (Ag. District Information Officer)