Title: Unseen and Unheard: The Hidden Struggles and Socioeconomic Impact of Period Poverty Among Migrant Fishers and Head Porters in the Fisheries Sector in Ghana

Abstract

Period poverty, a silent challenge marked by inadequate access to safe, affordable menstrual products, water and menstrual education, remains a critical yet often overlooked issue affecting marginalized populations worldwide. In Ghana’s fisheries sector, female migrant fishers and head porters represent a particularly vulnerable group within the informal economy, facing economic hardship and high mobility while remaining largely absent from menstrual health research and interventions despite the growing recognition of menstrual health as a development and rights issue. For this population, menstruation is not just a biological process but an economic issue. This study therefore examined the hidden struggles and socioeconomic impact of period poverty among thirty female migrant fishers and head porters in the fisheries sector from Tema Newtown (Greater Accra region) and Kedzi (Volta region) in Ghana. Data was collected using a closed-ended questionnaire and semi-structured open-ended interview and analyzed using Microsoft Excel and Stata BE 17 software. Open-ended responses were grouped into themes following qualitative inductive coding and thematic analysis. The results reveal that 80% had no high school education, 93.3% had children and supported multiple dependents. With monthly income below five hundred Ghana Cedis (GHS 500.00) this population faces economic hardship. The main challenges identified were lack of affordable products (80%) such as sanitary pads and high cost of water (86.7%) for personal hygiene. Participants expressed how menstrual pain negatively affected their ability to work. However, they also cited fear of salary deductions if they missed work due to menstrual pain. The intersection of high dependency burden, low education and low income makes this population more susceptible to period poverty by limiting their access to safe and quality menstrual health resources. Participants expressed the need for affordable products, economic support and education to reduce period poverty. Using the socio-ecological model, recommendations developed include policy and institutional level changes such as tax removal on sanitary products and integration of tailored menstrual health education in existing programs. This study contributes evidence for gender-responsive interventions to address period poverty among one of the overlooked populations in Ghana.