In commemoration of the 2026 World Menstrual Hygiene Day, the Royal Women in Cinema Ghana in collaboration with Empower Playgrounds hosted, and supported over 200 girls from Shime A and B schools, under the Anloga district with reusable sanitary kits.

The well-attended event themed, “Support A Girl – Change A Future”, aimed to spotlight the cultural and social barriers that prevent girls from managing their menstruation with dignity, and exposes the cultural myths and discriminatory practices that continue to affect girls’ education, freedom, and self-worth, particularly in rural communities. The event also created a platform for honest dialogue and a renewed commitment to ending period poverty and menstrual-related discrimination.

Held on Thursday 28th May at the Trekume Basic school park, the event brought together traditional and religious leaders including the chief of Trekume, Torgbui Dodzi Kuatewo, Zikpuito, and Torgbe Dominic Apedo (Dosukofe), among other government officials.

In her initial remarks, the CEO of the Royal Women In Cinema Ghana, Madam Dzifa Agbetepey opened the event by framing World Menstrual Hygiene Day as more than a ceremony. She emphasized that the day represents a collective push for awareness and dignity, stating,

“Today is not just another event it is a movement, a moment of awareness, education, and empowerment”. She centered on normalizing menstruation and affirming that it should never limit a girl’s potential.

She also directly addressed young women, urging them to embrace their bodies with confidence and reminding them that “Your dreams are valid, and nothing including your menstrual cycle should ever hold you back.” She added.

A major focus was acknowledging the coalition that made the outreach possible. The CEO highlighted the partnership with Empower Playgrounds, which donated reusable sanitary pads and provided hygiene education.

“This is not just a donation – it is an investment in dignity, health, and the future of these young girls.”

She extended thanks to corporate sponsors including, PZ Cussons Ghana, Blue Skies,Streamline Y & D lnnovations, Sarps Multimedia , Spectra events and service as well as traditional leaders like Torgbi Adaku Dosu VIII chief of Atorkor and Dosukofe, assembly members, the Ghana Education Service, and community groups. Madam Agbetepey recognized internal support from Royal Women In Cinema Ghana’s team, regional coordinators, and mentors like Mr. Ellis Afotey Quaye and Rex Owusu Marfo.

The CEO closed by rallying the community to sustain the momentum beyond the event. She charged attendees to actively dismantle stigma and ensure practical support for girls.

“As we move forward, let us continue to break the silence, challenge stigma, and build a future where every girl can manage her menstruation safely, confidently, and with dignity.”

Madam Peace Yeri, Educational Specialist at Empower Playgrounds, demonstrated how to use the reusable menstrual kits and outlined their benefits for young girls.

She explained that the initiative aligns directly with Empower Playgrounds’ mission, stating that “providing the reusable kits to the young girls falls in line with our mission as an institution. Also the myth surrounding menstruations over the years has contributed to stigma that the organization is working to dismantle through education and access to proper menstrual products, and this collaboration with Royal Women in Cinema Ghana is a call in the right direction”, she said.

As part of the commemoration, educational materials including books, and products from sponsors were distributed among community leaders, Assembly members, opinion leaders and head teachers, who were in attendance.

Ghana’s Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, has ordered the Ghana Education Service to immediately review how examination question papers are transported to exam centres across the country, after a chaotic start to the Basic Education Certificate Examination on Monday.

The trouble began at the Boako examination centre, where question papers failed to arrive on time, throwing the start of the BECE into disarray. A total of 273 candidates drawn from nine schools were left sitting and waiting, answer booklets in front of them, but no questions to answer  while students at other centres had already begun writing their papers some 15 minutes earlier.

When Minister Iddrisu arrived at the centre and saw the situation for himself, he was clearly not pleased. He immediately directed the GES Director-General to work hand-in-hand with the West African Examinations Council to fix the logistics surrounding the delivery of examination materials  and to do so without delay.

“Ordinarily, candidates are supposed to be seated 15 minutes before the examination. However, I see answer sheets here without question papers. They are now on their way. We must therefore review the process of transporting examination questions to centres. Director-General, you sit on the WAEC Council, so we need immediate reforms,” the Minister said.

The incident has cast a spotlight on the reliability of Ghana’s examination logistics chain  a system that thousands of young students depend on at one of the most important moments of their academic lives. For the 273 candidates at Boako, Monday’s delay was more than an inconvenience. It was a disruption they did not deserve on the day of a high-stakes national examination.

Authorities are yet to explain what caused the delay, but the Minister’s directive makes clear that answers  and solutions are expected quickly.

The Ghana Education Service has barred all supervisors and invigilators implicated in last year’s examination malpractice from the upcoming 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination, as the country prepares for its largest BECE cohort yet.

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has taken sweeping action to purge its invigilation ranks ahead of the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), officially prohibiting all officials linked to malpractice during last year’s exams from playing any role in this year’s exercise.

The affected supervisors and invigilators — many of whom remain under active investigation — have been barred from all coordination and supervision duties as the GES moves to restore public confidence in the integrity of Ghana’s national examination system.

Addressing a press briefing on preparations for the exams, scheduled to run from May 4 to May 11, Director-General of the GES Ernest Kofi Davis said investigations into the 2025 malpractice cases were nearing completion, with final disciplinary outcomes expected shortly.

“Investigations into the alleged malpractice cases are nearing completion,” Mr. Davis told reporters, adding that the exclusion of compromised officials was essential to ensuring a level playing field for all candidates.

To plug the staffing gap left by the banned officials, the GES has deployed 21,791 vetted invigilators — a figure Mr. Davis said was sufficient to guarantee transparent and credible conduct of the examinations.

Record Candidate Numbers

The crackdown on misconduct coincides with a notable surge in participation. A total of 620,141 candidates are registered to sit this year’s BECE, a 2.7 percent increase over the 603,328 who wrote the 2025 exams. Of the total candidates, 315,792 are girls and 304,349 are boys, spread across 20,395 schools nationwide.

Nationwide Sensitization Drive

Beyond the personnel blacklist, the GES has rolled out a sensitization campaign across all 16 regions of the country, targeting students, parents, and teachers with messaging on the consequences of examination fraud and its long-term damage to Ghana’s education system.

Authorities confirmed that all examination materials and logistics are in place ahead of the May 4 start date, with the Service reiterating its commitment to ensuring that those who undermined the system in 2025 will have no influence over the futures of this year’s candidates.