Menstrual Health and Hygiene for Girls’ Education (MEHIGE) Project

Menstruation is a natural and essential part of a woman’s reproductive life, marking the onset of puberty in girls, usually between the ages of 11 and 14. Women spend a significant portion of their lives menstruating, making menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) a critical public health issue. However, in low-income communities, MHH is often overlooked due to limited resources, cultural beliefs, myths, and taboos.

Poor menstrual health and hygiene is a globally recognized challenge, defined as the ability of women and adolescent girls to use clean menstrual management materials, change them in privacy, maintain proper hygiene, and have access to proper disposal facilities.

About the MEHIGE Project
Prime Initiatives implemented the Menstrual Health and Hygiene for Girls’ Education (MEHIGE) Project to improve menstrual health management among schoolgirls in Ghana. The project ran for three academic terms (nine months) from April 2023 to November 2023, targeting primary and junior high school girls aged 10 to 18 years. Additionally, parents, teachers, and guardians were engaged through community sensitization programs.

Key Activities and Impact

1. Provision of Sanitary Pads
   • Prime Initiatives distributed sanitary pads monthly to girls in 20 Basic Schools.
   • This intervention helped reduce absenteeism caused by a lack of menstrual hygiene products.
2. Menstrual Health Education
   • Organized training sessions led by midwives and nurses.
   • Educated young girls on proper menstrual hygiene, safe sanitary pad usage, and infection prevention.
   • Encouraged health-seeking behavior when experiencing menstrual-related infections.
3. Community Sensitization
   • Engaged parents, teachers, and community leaders to break menstrual taboos.
   • Promoted awareness of the importance of menstrual health management in supporting girls’ education.

Project Funding and Sustainability
The MEHIGE Project was generously funded by the Haella Foundation. Prime Initiatives remains committed to fundraising efforts to expand the project to more schools and additional districts, ensuring more girls have access to menstrual health education and essential hygiene products.

The MEHIGE Project has significantly improved menstrual health management for schoolgirls, reducing absenteeism and enhancing their educational experience. Prime Initiatives continues to advocate for menstrual health awareness and seeks partnerships to scale up this impactful project.

For more information or to support this initiative, please contact Prime Initiatives at primeinitiatives.org.gh/contact-page/