It's time to invest in menstrual hygiene management. Now!

In Ghana, 9 out of 10 girls miss school during their menses. Lack of safe, clean spaces and affordable sanitary materials for changing often leave adolescent girls with no choice but to skip classes to skip school entirely during their periods. 

 

This results in a loss of classroom time and missed learning opportunity for girls, which leads to increased drop out and lower learning performance overall.  

 

There is often not enough accurate information and education on Menstrual Hygiene Management for adolescent girls before menarche – their first period. 

 

They are thus often inadequately prepared for to manage menstrual hygiene as well as linked issues such as pain management or nutrition. These key issues are compounded by high costs of sanitary materials and harmful norms that exclude adolescent girls from education or social activity because of a natural biological process in their lives. 

 

Simple actions by decision-makers, schools and communities can significantly change this reality for girls, providing confidence and support as they go through adolescence, a critical point in their mental, physical, and social development. 

 

There is urgent need for investment by government and partners to address these issues to keep the girl child healthy and in school.  There is need for action now! 

 

Read how in this policy brief that has been put together by the National Technical Committee on MHM in Ghana under the auspices of SHEP-GES with the support of UNICEF for the commemoration of Menstrual Hygiene Management Day, 28 May 2021.