A section of the 253 girls from the Presbyterian and SDA Junior High School in the Dormaa Municipality who participated in the 2023 World Menstrual Hygiene Day
As part of activities to commemorate the celebration of World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2023, the UENR Chapter of the Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana (SSA-UoG) partnered with the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering to create awareness and sensitize about 253 adolescent girls at Junior High Schools in Dormaa, on the perceptions of menstrual hygiene among girls in Ghana.
The resource person for the occasion was Dr Prince Antwi-Agyei, Head of Department, Civil and Environmental Engineering, who took the girls through a presentation on the topic “Perceptions of Adolescent School Girls on Menstrual Hygiene in Accra and Tema, Ghana”, which was a research study conducted with over 500 basic school girls (upper primary and Junior Schools) from 112 schools in 3 districts in Accra and Tema.
Dr Antwi-Agyei acknowledged that the adolescent girl has the right to quality education (as stipulated by Sustainable Development Goal 4) but could be denied if existing conditions at schools are not made conducive. He affirmed that awareness creation and knowledge of menstruation among these girls were found to be very high (98%), and teachers and parents were identified as the main sources of information to them. His study found 38% of school girls perceive girls who are menstruating to be dirty, to have a bad odour or to be bad girls. The study further found that 9% of girls were unwilling to attend school during their menses flow because of; physical or emotional stress, lack of clean places to change or wash down, or inability to focus in class. Most girls (79%) also reported using disposable pads, though more than a third (37%) reported to keep their used pads until disposing of them at home.
Dr Prince Antwi-Agyei, Head of Department, Civil and Environmental Engineering presents his research findings on Perceptions of Adolescent School Girls on Menstrual Hygiene
His presentation concluded that adequate girl-friendly facilities together with sufficient hygiene materials, awareness creation and education could promote safe and private menstrual hygiene which is likely to improve enrolment figures as well as reduce absenteeism and improve the health status and academic performance among adolescents’ school girls.
In her remarks, the Women’s Commissioner of the Association, Ms. Ruth Dufie Amoah noted that the programme seeks to empower young girls to overcome difficulties associated with menstrual development and create awareness of it.
Women’s Commissioner of the Senior Staff Association, Ms. Ruth Dufie Amoah giving her remarks
A Resource Person, Ms. Mavis Nyarko who is also a Senior Midwifery Officer at the Bono Regional Hospital took the girls through a topic on “Menstrual Hygiene Challenges, Stigma and Discrimination Among Young Women”. In her delivery, Ms. Nyarko mentioned that Menstruation among females is a national phenomenon which cannot be ignored. She explained the biological processes and the age range of mensuration among young women. She advised them to practice personal hygiene during their periods and seek medical attention in case of any anomalies associated with their menstrual conditions. The girls were taken through a practical demonstration of the various stages to use a pad.
Ms. Mavis Nyarko, Senior Midwifery Officer at the Bono Regional Hospital speaks to the Girls on Menstrual Hygiene Challenges, Stigma and Discrimination Among Young Women
The students expressed their gratitude and appreciation to the organizers and appreciated the knowledge acquired would be beneficial in managing themselves well during their menstrual flow.
This year’s celebration was themed “Making menstruation a normal fact of life by 2030” the young girls had the opportunity to listen to insightful talks on menstrual hygiene challenges, stigma and perception among adolescents.
