Keep Her in School: Instructor Training Program

Abstract

The Keep Her in School Instructor Training Program is a community-driven program designed to break down persistent barriers to girls' education in Ghana, namely those relating to menstrual hygiene management (MHM) and gender-based violence (GBV). Despite progressive national and international policy frameworks such as the Ghana National Gender Policy and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), girls continue to have their education disrupted by menstruation stigma, withholding access to sanitary pads, unhygienic school settings, and inadequate abuse reporting mechanisms. These conditions expose the gap between policy declarations and the day-to-day realities in under-resourced schools and communities.

Based on rights and feminist perspectives, the project trains a cohort of Gender Violence & Reproductive Health Awareness Community Educators (GRACE) to conduct change-making learning and advocacy for GBV and MHM. Trainers are provided with culturally relevant tools, trauma-informed techniques, and participatory pedagogies to facilitate school and community outreach programs in the Ashanti and Greater Accra regions. The training concentrates on local language use, storytelling, and performance-based training to enhance access and relevance within multicultural communities.

During its first phase, the program will certify ten trainers, develop a strong, context[1]sensitive curriculum, conduct a minimum of ten outreach sessions, and enable the setting up of anonymous GBV reporting mechanisms in the partner schools. These interventions are not ends but are designed to build capacity, facilitate dialogue, and catalyse lasting systemic change. Through creating space for girls to manage menstruation with dignity and safety and for communities to prevent and respond to GBV, the program seeks to reframe these problems as central to access and achievement in education.

Simply put, Keep Her in School realizes that menstruation stigma and gender-based violence are not only health concerns but also significant causes of educational inequality. Through its partnership with local leaders, NGOs, and the Ghana Education Service, the program offers a scalable and sustainable remedy to gender-sensitive education reform. It envisions a future where girls in Ghana can exercise their right to learn, grow, and thrive without interruption, shame, or fear.