Haruna Iddrisu’s Reaction as Ato Forson Announces GH¢295m for Schoolgirls

The Minister of Education and Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu , has become a subject of social media discussion following his facial expression during the presentation of the 2027 Budget Statement and Economic Policy.

Iddrisu was captured maintaining a straight face in Parliament on Thursday, November 12, 2026, when Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson announced a GH¢295 million allocation for the distribution of free sanitary pads to schoolgirls across Ghana.

The funding forms part of the GH¢48 billion budgetary allocation for the Ministry of Education, as outlined in the 2027 budget presented to Parliament.

The government intends to use the allocation to provide free sanitary pads to schoolgirls, with the aim of improving female participation in education and reducing menstrual-related challenges that contribute to absenteeism.

The Free Sanitary Pad Initiative was introduced in Accra in April 2025, following President John Dramani Mahama’s commitment in his State of the Nation Address to address menstrual-related barriers affecting girls’ education.

In October 2025, the Ghana Education Service (GES) announced plans to distribute 6,607,095 sanitary pads to schoolgirls across all 16 regions as part of efforts to ensure that menstruation does not prevent girls from attending school.

Under the programme, female students at both basic and second-cycle institutions are expected to receive sanitary pads monthly throughout their period of schooling.

However, details regarding the implementation of the initiative under the 2027 budget remain limited.

The budget document does not indicate the exact number of beneficiaries, the quantity of sanitary pads to be supplied, the distribution schedule or the estimated cost of each pad.

The GH¢295 million provision is included in the government’s wider education spending plan, while total government expenditure for the 2027 financial year is estimated at GH¢389 billion.

Source: https://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/See-Haruna-Iddrisu-s-facial-expression-as-Ato-Forson-announces-free-sanitary-pad-budget-2061134

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