Pads, Power, and Protection: Ghanaian girls rise against exploitation with groundbreaking campaign
Human Rights Reporters
3 min read
In the rural heartlands of Northern Ghana, over 500 adolescent girls and women are rewriting their stories — trading silence for strength, and exploitation for empowerment.
Thanks to a bold new initiative called “Silence No More,” communities across the North East Region are witnessing a movement that is dismantling the toxic practice of “sex-for-pads” and standing tall against sexual violence.
Led by the grassroots powerhouse Inspire Her Ghana and funded by the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF), this transformative campaign took root in the Mamprugu Moagduri and West Mamprusi districts, including areas such as Yagaba and Sooba. Its goal? To protect, educate, and equip girls with tools for menstrual dignity, self-defence, and sustainable livelihoods.
From Awareness to Action: A Multi-Phase Campaign for Real Change
- Sparking Dialogue: Community Awareness and Education (March 7–11, 2025)
The campaign kicked off with interactive sessions across schools, youth centers, and local gathering spaces. These forums sparked vital conversations around sexual consent, menstrual health, and the dangers of transactional sex, often driven by the inability to afford basic hygiene products.
Traditional leaders, students, youth activists, and women’s groups came together to break long-standing taboos — pledging to protect their girls and confront harmful cultural silences.
- Building Strength: Self-Defence & Emotional Resilience (March 26–30, 2025)
Next, the campaign addressed safety head-on. Girls who had experienced abuse, along with others considered at risk — including those with disabilities — were trained in basic self-defence techniques and received psychosocial support.
The focus wasn’t just physical protection, but restoring confidence and emotional resilience, helping participants feel secure in both body and mind.
- Economic Empowerment: Reusable Pads & Beadwork Training (April 31–May 2, 2025)
The final stage turned skill-building into empowerment. Girls learned how to produce reusable sanitary pads and craft beadwork — a dual-purpose training that promotes menstrual sustainability and provides a source of income.
Several participants have already begun selling their products locally, while others have emerged as peer educators, teaching fellow girls how to protect themselves and assert their rights.
Impact Beyond the Numbers
While the project directly reached more than 500 women and girls, its influence extends far wider — cultivating a growing network of informed, empowered, and resilient young leaders.
“This program created safe spaces for girls to speak out and learn how to protect themselves,” said a representative from Inspire Her Ghana. “It’s more than advocacy—it’s about equipping them with real, life-changing skills.”
The campaign made it a priority to amplify marginalized voices, particularly survivors of sexual violence and girls with disabilities — groups often left out of development conversations. With community buy-in and inclusive planning, “Silence No More” built bridges where barriers once stood.
A Movement with Momentum
“Silence No More” is not a one-time intervention; it is part of Inspire Her Ghana’s broader mission to eliminate menstrual and gender-based inequities in underserved communities. The team is now looking to scale the program across other districts, ensuring that no girl, anywhere, has to trade her dignity for hygiene.
“No girl should have to trade her body for basic hygiene,” the organization said. “With Silence No More, we are saying enough is enough.”
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