The Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO), a non- governmental organisation, has launched the Period Health Empowerment Guide (PHEG) in Bolgatanga as part of activities to mark the 2025 Menstrual Hygiene Day celebration.
The Guide, developed by GAYO in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service and with guidance of the Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights, seeks to transform menstrual education and empowerment of girls and young people.
The event, held in the Upper East Regional capital, brought together students, teachers, healthcare professionals, civil society actors, and development partners with effort to promote menstrual health, education, and dignity for girls across Ghana.
Speaking on behalf of Mr Richard Matey, Executive Director of GAYO, Mr Benedict Fosu Arthur, Project Coordinator, GAYO, described the launch of the guide as more than just the release of a publication, the beginning of a movement to end stigma, silence, and misinformation surrounding menstruation.
The Period Health Empowerment Guide, described as a “pocket-sized revolution,” was developed as a practical tool to equip girls with essential knowledge on menstrual health and broader sexual and reproductive health topics, including consent, pregnancy, protection, and self-worth.

“This guide is not just ink on paper; it is the echo of every girl who has ever asked, ‘What is happening to me?’ It is written for her, with her, and to set her free,” Mr. Arthur said.
He emphasised that empowerment must go beyond the provision of sanitary products to include comprehensive education, adding, “Pads are good, but knowledge is greater… freedom begins in the mind,”, advocating menstrual education to be integrated into national policies such as the Free Sanitary Pad Initiative.
Mr Arthur also acknowledged GAYO’s key partners, including the Ghana Health Service, for their support and commitment to addressing menstrual health as a critical human rights and development issue.
He urged families, educators, faith leaders, and policymakers to use the guide as a starting point for important conversations in homes, classrooms, churches, and mosques.
“This guide speaks not only of menstruation but of sexuality, consent, pregnancy, pleasure, protection, and pride. It is bold because our girls are bold. It is simple because clarity is power. And it is accessible because dignity should not depend on how far one lives from the cities,” he added.
The Period Health Empowerment Guide is expected to play a transformative role in tackling menstrual stigma, enhancing period literacy, and promoting gender equality, especially in rural and underserved communities across Ghana.