Period health empowerment guide launched in Bolga
The Green Africa Youth Organisation (GAYO), a youth-led environment and climate change advocacy group, has launched the maiden edition of a Period Health Empowerment Guide (PHEG) in Bolgatanga.
The PHEG, which was launched last Thursday, aims at empowering young people, families and communities across Ghana and beyond with practical knowledge about menstruation, sexual reproductive health, dignity and self-care.
The launch, which formed part of this year’s Menstrual Hygiene Day celebration, was co-organised by GAYO and SHARE Project partners—WaterAid Ghana, FAWE, Right To Play and FHI360, on the theme: “Menstrual Health and Climate Action: Making the Pad Policy Work for Every Girl.”
It brought together key regional stakeholders, including the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Ghana Education Service (GES), Department of Gender, traditional leaders, district assemblies, educators, students and community youth.
Speaking on behalf of GAYO’s Executive Director, Richard Matey, GAYO’s Project Coordinator, Benedict Fosu Arthur, described the guide as a “portable revolution” that provides every young person with the clarity and confidence to understand their body and manage menstruation with dignity.
“We launch not just a guide, but a declaration that every girl, whether in Bolga or Bongo, Tamale or Tumu, has the right to know her body, understand her cycle and walk in dignity,” he said.
He added that the initiative developed by GAYO in collaboration with the GHS, and with input from the Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights, offers a portable, easy-to-understand reference, adaptable for diverse communities, and addresses the physical, emotional and hygienic aspects of menstrual and sexual health.
Mr Matey added that the guide contains information on climate change, its relationship to menstruation or period, and environmental disposal.
The Executive Director of GAYO urged all stakeholders to adopt the guide, integrating it into homes, schools, and communities to ignite meaningful discussions on menstrual equity and reproductive rights.
He also called on stakeholders looking to implement the guide in Ghanaian schools to consult the GES to determine the appropriate sections for educational use.
Health education
In collaboration with the GES, GAYO extended its Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) education from an initial three schools to nine JHS schools in the Kassena Nankana West District in the Upper East Region.
This initiative, which focuses strictly on MHM and climate education, has now reached over 1,000 students including boys, through youth-led peer education sessions.
These sessions were led by trained community youth under GAYO’s Adaptation and Resilience Project, ensuring sustainability and local relevance.
The approach encourages openness, reduces stigma and fosters collective responsibility for menstrual dignity in schools — all within GES-approved educational boundaries.
The Menstrual Hygiene Day event also served as a platform for critical discussions on the need for equitable and accountable implementation of Ghana’s Free Sanitary Pad Initiative, the environmental risks of single-use menstrual products, and the urgency of investing in WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) infrastructure in schools.
