Ghana’s Menstrual Health Investment Must Prioritize Rural Girls

GH¢292 million is a powerful investment, but without intentional redistribution, the girls who need it most may still be left behind.

When the Government of Ghana introduced the Free Sanitary Pads Initiative, it was a long-overdue response to a silent but powerful barrier to girls’ education: period poverty.

The initiative was designed to ensure that no girl misses school simply because she cannot afford menstrual products, while also promoting menstrual health, dignity, and confidence among girls in public primary and secondary schools across the country.

Since its introduction, the programme has already made measurable progress. Millions of sanitary pads have been distributed nationwide, easing absenteeism for many girls and sparking more open conversations about menstrual health in schools that previously treated the topic as taboo.

This is why the recent announcement that the government has allocated over GH¢292 million to continue the nationwide distribution of free sanitary pads is truly significant, and worthy of recognition.

However, as we strengthen this initiative, we must now move from coverage to equity. If we want real impact, then a higher proportion of this budget must be intentionally directed toward rural and underserved communities. These are the areas where Period poverty is most severe.  Access to quality menstrual products remains limited, cultural stigma and misinformation around menstruation persist, and schools are most likely to be excluded from consistent national rollouts. In many rural communities, girls still stay home during their menstrual cycle, not because of a lack of ambition, but because poverty and silence continue to fail them.

Beyond distribution, we must also invest in menstrual health education. Pads alone are not enough. We need; Education that actively dismantles myths and taboos, Safe spaces where girls can ask questions without fear or shame, Teachers and community facilitators equipped to support girls with dignity.

Finally, this initiative must be anchored in strong checks, balances, and accountability mechanisms. Each year, the government should; publicly account for how these funds were spent,  share disaggregated data on regions, districts, and schools reached, clearly identify rural and hard-to-reach communities and prioritize and demonstrate measurable outcomes beyond budget announcements. Transparency builds trust,  data strengthens policy, accountability ensures sustainability.

This initiative has the potential to be transformational, especially for girls in rural Ghana, but only if equity, intentional redistribution, and accountability remain at the center of implementation. Menstrual health is not a privilege,  It is a right, and no girl, especially those in the most marginalized communities, should be left behind.

#MenstrualHealth #PeriodPoverty #GirlsEducation #EducationEquity #RuralDevelopment #GenderEquality #PublicPolicy #Accountability #Ghana

Reference

https://www.modernghana.com/news/1457030/menstrual-hygiene-remains-critical-issue-reason.amp