Stop 368 Teen Girls in Ghana from Missing School

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Menstruation is one of the most beautiful natural phenomena in a person’s life. Despite its beauty, it is also an experience that is associated with humiliation meant to intimidate people who menstruate across Africa and other parts of the world. 

Menstruation is often criticized or ridiculed by many cultures and societies, which affects women and girls negatively. Gender inequality, extreme poverty, humanitarian crises, deprivation and stigma attached to menstruation have silenced most women, who often face exclusion, neglect, and discrimination while menstruating. 

Menstruation was perceived as dirty or shameful, prohibiting women and girls from discussing their menstrual health. This view contributed to restrictions women and girls faced during their period. At times, these restrictions were even self-imposed as most women and girls were told to fear handling food in the kitchen, participating in school activities, and joining social gatherings while on their period. This enforced the idea that they have less claim to public spaces, and that they were less able to participate in public life. Many women and girls around the world still suffer from menstrual related misconceptions and are encouraged to  keep menstruation a secret. Schools, homes, hospitals, churches, mosques, and the media are not doing enough to educate the public about menstruation and ease the challenges that women and girls face. There is an urgency to address menstruation properly. Society will not see an end to teenage pregnancy, school dropouts, high illiteracy rates, or extreme poverty until the world learns to approach menstruation and menstrual health differently. 

In this context, Self Help International’s Teen Girls Club champions this menstruation every year in order to empower young girls in rural communities to understand that menstruation is a blessing and a fortunate thing to experience. In addition, Self-Help teaches girls about the reproductive system in general and educates them to understand, own, and manage their menstrual cycle.

Self-Help Teen Girls Club program officers conducted a survey to know who mentors the girls during their periods, which sanitary products the girls use during their menstruation, and how they access these sanitary products. 

Most girls stated that their parents do not initiate any communication concerning their period, so they often keep it a secret. Some also said that their parents are not able to afford sanitary pads, so the girls try to earn a little money to pay for the products they need by collecting firewood or engaging in manual labor. Others also said they use handkerchiefs, pieces of cloth, and tissues when they have their periods. 

The results of the survey clearly highlighted the need for increased access to menstrual hygiene products. Self-Help’s team worked to find a solution for girls to have access to menstrual products. Self-Help provided 200 reusable sanitary pads from Days for Girls to group participants. Massira, a locally driven organization committed to providing education and resources on menstrual, sexual, and reproductive health, donated reusable and disposable pads and other materials for club members. 

Today, around 380 girls in the club have access to a reusable sanitary pad that lasts for 3 years. They feel confident to discuss their period, they understand their menstrual cycle, and they have control over it. The girls are very excited and have expressed so much gratitude and appreciation to Self Help International and Massira for the great intervention and support. 

Teenage pregnancy is a major barrier to staying in school for young girls in rural Ghana. Engaging in sexual activity can expose girls to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and if girls become pregnant, it is very challenging for them to continue their education or continue to pursue their career goals. Girls in rural areas experience these challenges more acutely than those in urban areas. In a survey published in 2019 by Ghana Statistical Service, over 18% of 15-10 year olds in rural areas reported that they are currently or have been pregnant, compared to 8% in the same age group in urban areas. 

Nancy is a young girl from Bedaabour, Ghana. She lives with her aunt and her older sister in the village, and she attended her Primary and Junior High School. Nancy’s friends introduced her to Self-Help International's Teen Girls Club, and she joined in 2017. She stayed active in the program until she graduated in 2020.

Nancy was determined to continue on in her education but faced financial challenges. Nancy’s parents passed away when she was younger, so she started farming after graduation to support her family and save for school supplies in order to continue on to Secondary School. 

When Nancy found out she was pregnant, she knew that it would be even more of a challenge to find the time and resources to attend school. Self-Help International’s Teen Girls Club staff met with Nancy to discuss what her goals were and see how they could help. 

Since Nancy was still committed to pursuing her education, Self-Help supported her with some of the school materials and fees she needed. Helping Nancy overcome those challenges enabled her to focus on both her growing baby and her education. Today, Nancy is a proud General Art student of Mpasatia Senior High School, working hard to achieve her dream. 

Nancy has become a role model to her peers and classmates. She made a bold and difficult decision to continue on with her studies and she is now an advocate for both continuing on in your educational journey and in preventing teenage pregnancy.