Ahead of Menstrual Hygiene Day on 28 May, UNICEF Ghana, alongside the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the School Health Education Programme (SHEP), has taken a major step toward smashing the stigma and gaps around menstrual health by bringing adolescent voices directly to decision-makers.
On 22 May, partners engaged with students at Tamale Girls’ Senior High School to gather firsthand insights on their menstrual hygiene management (MHM) experiences. The findings will be presented to school authorities and key stakeholders including the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly, Ghana Education Service, and Ghana Health Service, to support coordinated action and improved MHM services in Tamale.
While the Government’s Free Sanitary Pad Distribution Programme has been a game-changer for school attendance, local innovations are stepping in to fill remaining gaps. Tamale Girls’ Senior High School highlights this balance, utilizing both the government initiative and an innovative "pad bank" by Kodu Technology. Supported early on by the UNICEF Start-up Lab, Kodu Technology dispenses affordable, eco-friendly sanitary pads made from banana and plantain fibers using a unique token-based system.
Despite these breakthroughs, girls in Ghana still face steep barriers, including substandard sanitation facilities, restrictive cultural norms, and persistent social stigma that can lead to school absenteeism. By putting the lived experiences of these students at the center of the conversation, UNICEF and its partners are ensuring that future policy and school infrastructure aren't just well-meaning, but truly responsive to what young women need.
