Menstrual health continues to be a pressing issue affecting the well-being, safety, and education of girls, especially in underserved areas of Ghana. In the Upper East Region, the Department of Children is raising concerns about how the lack of access to sanitary products and menstrual education is pushing young girls into vulnerable and dangerous situations.
Speaking during an interview on A1 Radio, the Regional Director for the Department of Children, Georgina Aberese-Ako, revealed that many girls are forced to take on risky jobs after school—often in unsafe environments such as bars—just to save money to purchase sanitary pads.
“We engaged not only women but the girls themselves, and what they told us was that some have to work after school to save money to buy sanitary pads,” she said.
Others become financially dependent on older male partners, leaving them exposed to exploitation, unplanned pregnancies, and sexually transmitted infections. These survival choices are often a direct result of the inability to afford basic menstrual products.
“Others also resort to having boyfriends. And you know, we don’t have free lunch. The fact that someone is devoted to you, buying sanitary pads every month—a day will come when you’ll have to pay back. And what do you have? All that you have is your body. Because the person has been generous, when they request sex, the girls cannot say no. They feel obliged to give in,” she explained.
She lamented the far-reaching consequences, including how girls drop out of school or miss classes regularly, causing them to fall behind in their education. The stigma surrounding menstruation, coupled with limited knowledge on how to manage it, compounds the issue. According to her, the Department has found that many girls begin menstruating without any prior understanding of what is happening to their bodies, often relying on teachers or peers for information instead of receiving proper guidance from home.
Madam Aberese-Ako emphasized the critical role of parents—not just in providing sanitary products, but also in educating both their daughters and sons about menstruation.
“Parents have a lot to do—not just providing sanitary pads, but also educating them.”
She stressed the need for boys to be sensitized in order to reduce stigma and offer support, while girls need to be prepared and empowered to manage their periods safely and confidently.
Amid these challenges, there is cautious optimism surrounding the free sanitary pad initiative recently introduced by the NDC government. However, concerns remain about how the products will be distributed. She suggested that the strategy should focus on reaching the most vulnerable girls, and not be influenced by politics.
“The strategy for distributing this is also something they need to look at, so that the most vulnerable girls benefit—and not let politics interfere.”
She noted that community-based programs, including school clubs that offer menstrual health education, are already making an impact. She also advocated for the use of reusable pads, especially in homes that cannot afford disposable ones. Teaching girls how to produce and maintain reusable pads, she said, is a practical and empowering solution.
She further added that efforts from all sectors—parents, educators, health professionals, and policymakers—are essential to ensuring that no girl is left behind simply because of a natural biological process.
This conversation forms part of the Menstrual Health in a Changing Climate Campaign by the Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO), which seeks to highlight the intersection between climate change and menstrual health, drawing attention to how environmental factors further compound the struggles girls and women face in managing their periods safely and with dignity.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Gifty Eyram Kudiabor|Bolgatanga
