Mr Attah Arhin, the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) technical specialist at World Vision International, has raised concerns about the need to change rooms for adolescent girls in many schools across Ghana.
This issue, he emphasized, significantly prevents these girls from attending school during their menstrual periods.
At the 5th School Sanitation Solutions Challenge 2024 opening, during the first Master’s Encounter for the Northern sector held in Sunyani, Mr Arhin highlighted the importance of addressing this sanitation gap. He called on the government and local assemblies to ensure that the construction of school infrastructure includes changing rooms for girls as a crucial component of sanitation measures.
“It is imperative for the government, through the assemblies, to ensure that in putting up school infrastructures, they factor in changing rooms for girls,” he stressed.
Mr. Arhin lamented the current situation where many primary public schools lack such essential amenities, hindering girls’ education during specific periods.
He described this lack as a significant barrier to the educational progress of adolescent girls.
The issue of inadequate sanitation facilities in schools is not new. Various reports and studies have indicated that the absence of proper sanitation infrastructure, including changing rooms, toilets, and clean water facilities, severely impacts girls’ school attendance and performance. In some cases, girls miss up to five school days each month due to the need for these facilities.
A United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report highlights that improving sanitation in schools, including providing menstrual hygiene management facilities, can increase girls’ attendance by up to 11%. This underscores the need for urgent action to address the sanitation challenges many schools in Ghana face.
In response to these challenges, World Vision International and other partners continue to advocate for improved sanitation facilities in schools.
Initiatives such as the School Sanitation Solutions Challenge aim to raise awareness and encourage the development of sustainable solutions to sanitation issues.
Mr Arhin reminded authorities of the crucial role of adequate sanitation infrastructure in ensuring equal educational opportunities for all students. By addressing these gaps, the government and local assemblies can help create an environment where adolescent girls can attend school regularly and thoroughly participate in their education.
