UNICEF calls for urgent action on menstrual hygiene gaps in Ghana

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Ghana’s Infrastructure Deficit and the 31 Percent Education Gap

The divide between national policy and the daily reality for Ghanaian students is stark. While the government has launched a Free Sanitary Pads Initiative, GBC Ghana Online reported that UNICEF is sounding the alarm over deep infrastructure gaps that undermine these efforts. The numbers reveal a systemic failure in basic school sanitation that disproportionately affects girls during their menstrual cycles. This lack of education feeds a cycle of social stigma and school absenteeism. To combat this, UNICEF is advocating for the national theme “Together for a PeriodFriendly Ghana,” which focuses on three priority areas: expanding water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services; protecting the quality of menstrual products post-production; and creating data systems to track vulnerable girls who are currently outside the classroom.

Sunyani’s Targeted Relief via the WENSAH Foundation

On the ground in the Sunyani Municipality, local charities are filling the gaps left by state infrastructure. To mark Menstrual Hygiene Day on May 28, 2026, the WENSAH International Foundation provided sanitary pads to 150 girls from the Nyamaa and St Patrick Basic Schools. Mr Isaac Osei Amponsah, CEO of the WENSAH Foundation International, emphasized that one-time donations are insufficient. The foundation is currently working with school authorities to identify the most underprivileged girls to ensure they receive monthly supplies. The intervention also included a health component. Mrs Felicia Konadu, the Health Promotion Manager at the Sunyani Municipal Directorate of health, urged girls to remain confident and view menstruation as a normal life process. However, she also issued a direct call to the government to improve changing rooms in basic schools to ensure girls actually stay in the classroom during their menses.

How Cape Town’s Period Poverty Campaign Reached 5,167 Females

The crisis of period poverty is not limited to West Africa; similar patterns of “hidden” need are emerging in South Africa. A campaign by Children of tomorrow SA (Cotsa) in Cape Town’s Southern Suburbs originally aimed to support 1,842 girl learners. However, the project underwent a massive, unplanned expansion as students began using their supplies to support their families. According to reporting from NovaNews, the initiative eventually reached 5,167 females. This surge happened because the poverty affecting students extended into their homes, turning a school-based program into a family safety net. “We did not anticipate the extent of the need within learners’ homes. Many girls asked for additional pad packs for their mothers, sisters, cousins and aunts. This shifted the project from a school-based intervention to something much bigger becoming a safety net for entire families.” Amanda Fortuin, Cotsa founder The program implemented practical, low-friction solutions to reduce the shame associated with asking for help. Pad vending machines were installed at Immaculata RC Girls’ high school and Wittebome, while an existing machine at Wynberg Girls’ High School was renewed. Other participating institutions included Focus College, Ottery Road Methodist Primary School, Douglas Road Primary School, Muhammadeyah Primary School, St Augustine’s RC Primary School, and the Dominican School for the Deaf. The depth of the desperation was revealed through direct testimony. Amanda Fortuin shared that one parent had been using a towel during her menstrual cycle because she could not afford pads, remaining too embarrassed to seek help until a teacher intervened.

The Link Between Menstrual Hygiene and School Absenteeism

When sanitary products are unavailable or restrooms are unsanitary, the immediate casualty is education. Principal Clarice Fortuin of Wittebome noted that some girls were staying home every month, a trend that directly hampered their academic progress. By removing the “shame, anxiety, and worry” of lacking products, the school saw a measurable shift in attendance and student confidence. This is a global phenomenon. As The Hans India analysis highlights, the silence surrounding periods often leads to poor menstrual health management and discrimination. Health experts argue that menstrual health is not merely a “women’s issue” but a broader struggle for dignity and equality. The stakes are high. Without scientific and respectful education in schools, adolescents continue to rely on misinformation and social taboos. The synthesis of these global efforts suggests that while pad donations provide immediate relief, the long-term solution requires a two-pronged approach: the normalization of the conversation through education and the aggressive build-out of gender-responsive sanitation infrastructure. For the girls in Sunyani and Cape Town, the difference between a towel and a sanitary pad is more than just hygiene—it is the difference between staying in school or being forced into the shadows of their own homes.