We Need to Demystify Taboos Around Menstruation – Water Aid Ghana

Water Aid Ghana (WAG) has called for the empowerment of girls and women with accurate information on menstrual hygiene management to eliminate the myths surrounding menstruation.

It said there is the need for men and women to talk about menses and to challenge any myths and taboos surrounding menstruation that prevents women and girls from achieving their full potentials.

Mrs Antoinette Shor Anyawoe, Head of People and Organizational Development, WAG, said this at the commemoration of this years’ Menstrual Hygiene Day at Kayoro in the Kassena-Nankana West District.

The celebration, held under the theme: “Empowering women and girls through menstrual hygiene management”, was used to call on traditional rulers, students, parents and teachers to appreciate the need to talk about menstruation and help girls manage it without feeling embarrassed.

Talking about myths about menstruation, Mrs Anyawoe said there is the need to create the awareness for girls and women to appreciate that menstruation is not a taboo and appealed to government to ensure availability of toilet facilities, water and changing rooms in schools to ensure girls in menses have decent places to change and stay in school.

She called on teachers and all stakeholders to intensify education after the day’s event through the use of role plays and community discussions to increase knowledge on menstrual hygiene.

She said the provision of better facilities would help the country towards the promise of universal access to clean water and enable it achieve the Sustainable Development Goals on quality education and good wellbeing.

Ms Alice Aberinga, School Health Project Officer at the Ghana Education Service, said there were knowledge gaps in the management of menstrual hygiene and reiterated the need to support girls with the management of their menstrual cycle.

Other activities organized to create awareness as part of the event included essay competitions, and radio talk shows on menses.

The Anafobiisi Basic School in the Bongo District, the Saa JHS and the Kayoro JHS among others participated in the competition.

Master Bonaventure Basey and Miss Rita Wimpia of Kayoro JHS emerged winners in the boys’ and girls’ category and were awarded GHC 150 each, while Daniel Nakong of the Saa JHS and Dorcas Kayaga from the Kayoro JHS came second and were awarded GHC100.00 each.

The occasion was observed by traditional leaders, staff of the Ghana Education Service, the Kassena-Nankana West District Coordinating Director, teachers, parents and some school children.

Source: GNA