Lack of sanitation facilities in schools affects girls
Various studies have established that a number of girls in basic and junior high schools in the country miss up to five days envy month school due to inadequate sanitation facilities in their schools.
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A research conducted by WaterAid, a non-governmental organisation, in 2012 revealed that as a result of the unavailability of water, places of convenience and other facilities, about 95 per cent of girls in the country, especially in basic and junior high schools, sometimes refuse to go to school when they are having their menstruation.
Another study by Montgomery and others, in 2012, showed that the problem left the girls with a feeling of discomfort, which adversely affected their education.
Menstruation is the monthly discharge of blood and tissues from a non-pregnant uterus through the female genital organ, which is the culmination of the menstrual cycle. Also known as period or menses, it is a normal, healthy part of a woman's life, which usually begins when a girl is between nine and 16 years old and continues until she is 45 to 55.
During this period, some girls may have a feeling of discomfort and those in school need good sanitation facilities to maintain themselves.
Inadequate facilities
According to a Senior Research Fellow of the Institute of African Studies at the University of Ghana, Legon, Dr Osman Alhassan, an unfavourable school environment for girls is one of the biggest challenges they face during their menstrual cycle, especially “as a lot of the schools might be far from their homes.”
“No matter the difficulties girls face during their menses, they can cope with the situation better at home than at school. This is because most schools do not have the facilities to support them to manage their menstrual periods.
“On the average, girls spend a lot of time in school and it is important that schools offer them a supportive environment to make them comfortable,” he said.
Forum
Dr Alhassan made the remark during a forum on menstrual hygiene management (MHM) in Accra on Thursday.
The event, sponsored by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), was organised by the Resource Centre Network (RCN) and the Ghana Education Service (GES).
The ceremony was meant to raise awareness of MHM, break the verbal taboo surrounding menstruation and also identify and recommend appropriate policy reforms in support of menstrual hygiene.
It attracted participants from civil societies, especially those in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector, the media and academia.
Natural phenomenon
Dr Alhassan described menstruation as a natural event which should not prevent girls from accessing education, adding that “girls are supposed to be able to indulge in any activity that will help in their development, irrespective of whether they are menstruating or not, because menstruation is a natural phenomenon.”
Taboo
The Director of school health education and programme unit (SHEP) of the GES, Ms Kate Opoku, said there was the need for people to stop discriminating against girls who are in their menstrual period, stating that “some women are not even allowed into mainstream society during this period because it is seen as something unclean.”
“As a result of the stigmatisation, girls, especially those without the means to manage it, sometimes refuse to go to school. We must, therefore, come together to let people know that menstruation is part of development,” she added.