Upper East Region: WaterAid Ghana, a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)-focused organisation, has intensified awareness on menstrual hygiene through an inter-school debate in the Upper East Region. Organised in collaboration with its partners under the Sexual Health and Reproductive Education (SHARE) project, the event formed part of activities to commemorate this year's Menstrual Hygiene Day.
According to Ghana News Agency, the debate was held on the global theme 'Together for a Period-Friendly Ghana,' and brought together students, educators, health officials, and development partners in a unified call for menstrual equity and dignity. Ms Fauzia Aliu, Advocacy, Campaigns, and Inclusion Manager for WaterAid Ghana, delivering remarks on behalf of Ms Ewurabena Yanyi-Akofur, Country Director of WaterAid Ghana, highlighted the significance of recognising menstrual health as a central development and human rights concern.
The inter-school debate was one of several activities under the SHARE project, a five-year initiative (2021-2026) funded by Global Affairs Canada. The project is being implemented by a consortium led by Right to Play, in partnership with WaterAid Ghana, the Forum for African Women Educationalists Ghana (FAWE-Ghana), and FHI360. Its goal is to promote gender equality and advance health-related human rights, especially among adolescent girls and young women in Ghana.
Ms Aliu noted that stigma, lack of access to sanitary products, inadequate sanitation in schools, and harmful social norms continued to prevent many girls from realising their full potential. She stressed that these issues are not just inconveniences but injustices affecting attendance, confidence, and future aspirations.
Ms Aliu explained WaterAid Ghana's commitment to integrating menstrual health into broader WASH and gender equality programmes, ensuring that girls are equipped with the knowledge, tools, and support they need to thrive. She called on all stakeholders to continue pushing for action at policy, community, and household levels to make schools safe, supportive, and inclusive spaces for menstruating students.
'Together, let us build a Ghana where no one is ashamed of their period, where every girl can attend school with confidence, and where menstruation is recognised as a right, not a reason for exclusion,' she concluded.
Stakeholders at the event commended the SHARE project for raising awareness about menstrual hygiene and promoting the wellbeing, growth, and development of young people, pledging their continued support to ensure the project meets its objectives. Participating schools in the inter-school debate included Bongo Senior High School (SHS), Chiana SHS, Sandema SHS, and Our Lady of Lourdes Girls SHS.