By Christabel DANSO ABEAM
Ihlass Issah, Lead Youth Advocate-SEND Ghana, a subsidiary of SEND West Africa, has urged the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources to enhance Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities, particularly in basic and Senior High Schools.
This call was made at a launch of a report of a research conducted by SEND Ghana dubbed ‘Breaking Menstrual Silence: Unveilling the hidden struggles among adolescent girls in Ghana’, indicating that 63 percent of most schools in the country do not have sufficient WASH facilities and a friendly environment that allows adolescent girls access to hygiene when menstruating.
“From reports gathered, it was established that most schools – especially at the basic and Senior High Schools – have inadequate sanitation facilities to promote good hygiene and sanitation practices, and this led to some adolescent girls missing schools during their menstrual period,” she established.
She further recommended more changing-rooms with adequate water and soap for handwashing and proper bins for collecting and disposing of sanitary waste, indicating that such structures would permit adolescent girls to have safe periods without stigmatisation.
“This would help decrease truancy during menstruation, encourage effective learning and limit the risk of getting infections and curtail school dropouts,” she added.
The report also indicated that adolescents, especially girls, have limited knowledge and understanding of menstruation and related issues; and high cost of menstrual products also prevents girls from accessing quality products, exposing them to infections, pre-marital sex, unwanted pregnancy and early school dropout.
This led to a call on the Ministry of Education by Ms. Issah to implement comprehensive menstrual health education programmes and increase public awareness and sensitisation, explaining that it would help break the myths and reduce stigma surrounding menstruation in schools and communities – especially in the rural areas.
The Lead Youth Advocate recommended specific community programmes involving participation by parents, opinion leaders, adolescents of both genders and relevant stakeholders to deepen understanding on menstruation.
She also pleaded with the Ministry of Finance to scrap taxes on sanitary wear and reclassify it as an ‘Essential medical necessity’.
The research was conducted to examine the overall impact of period poverty on adolescent girls and women in Ghana by assessing their knowledge base and understanding of menstruation and menstrual hygiene management practices, and also to determine the affordability, accessibility and usage of menstrual products.
