Improve menstrual health education — WiWASH
The President of the Network of Women in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WiWASH), Solace Akomeah, has called for improved menstrual health education in schools and households across the country.
That, she said, would have a positive impact on many of the challenges affecting young girls with regard to menstrual hygiene management.
Ms Akomeah made the call during the celebration of Menstrual Hygiene Day in Accra.
Among the activities earmarked for the event were educational sessions, a debate competition, and an awards presentation aimed at promoting awareness and breaking menstrual stigma.
WiWASH also donated sanitary pads, toilet rolls, jumbo tissues, and liquid soap to the La Wireless Cluster of Schools and the La Nativity Basic School.
They also donated toiletries to the St Thomas Aquinas Senior High School at Cantonment.
Each year, WiWASH undertakes similar initiatives to promote good menstrual health and create a stigma-free environment on menstruation in schools.
Awareness
Ms Akomeah said many girls still struggled to manage their periods with dignity despite an improvement in menstrual hygiene awareness.
The event
She observed that many girls still relied on cloth, cotton, and tissue due to the high cost of sanitary products.
Citing data from UNICEF to buttress her point, Ms Akomeah said more than 31 per cent of adolescent girls in Ghana have never received formal menstrual health education.
“This gap often leads to stigma, embarrassment, and school absenteeism among girls,” she added and expressed concerns about inadequate Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facilities in schools.
She said nearly two million schoolchildren still lacked access to basic water and toilet facilities and stressed the need for improved school infrastructure to ensure a more sustainable approach to menstrual hygiene management.
Inclusion
For her part, the school nurse at the St Thomas Aquinas Senior High School, Sandra Agbezukey, educated the students on the signs and healthy practices associated with menstruation.
She stressed the need to equip male students with knowledge of menstruation to promote a more supportive and inclusive environment for females.
Ms Agbezukey added that boys needed to understand and assist with household chores, especially when the girls were unwell.
“We need to involve boys in menstrual health education.
They should learn to support girls and understand that menstruation should not be a subject of ridicule, but rather treated with dignity and respect,” she said.
