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Research reveals: Sex for sanitary pads cause of teenage pregnancy in Wa East
A research conducted in some parts of the Upper West Region relative to teenage pregnancy has produced a “very worrying result” which should be of concern to all.
It is noted that the inability of some girls in the Wa East District of the region to raise money for sanitary pads has compelled them to engage in premarital sex in exchange of money to buy the pad.
This practice has disturbingly resulted in high rate of teenage pregnancy in the area.
The research which was titled “Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health in the Wa East District of the Upper West Region: A synthesis of Research Evidence” was conducted by the Regional Youth Parliament with support from Plan International Ghana.
It was revealed that 83 percent of adolescent-girl respondents who participated in the research said they indulged in premarital sex with males for money to buy sanitary pads.
According to the study, some of the girls were not provided with pads by their parents who had relegated their responsibilities to the backyard making it difficult for them to get supply of their basic needs such as sanitary pads.
Explaining the details of the study to The Spectator Newspaper at Wa, the Speaker of the Youth Parliament, Mr James Baba Anabiga said that the study included 300 respondents comprising parents and guardians as well as adolescent girls in the community.
He said most of the girls confessed to have slept with a men in exchange of money to buy sanitary pad or were still sleeping with men for money to buy such basic necessities.
“When we have about 57 per cent of parents reneging on their responsibilities due to poverty or sheer negligence, then we will have such a situation at hand because menstruation is a biological consequence which happens every month whether the girl is prepared for it or not”, he said.
He explained that some of the girls said they had to stay away from school during menstruation and it affected their studies but with the help of the men, they were able to buy sanitary pads and ensured that they stayed in school.
“But to what extent is this feasible when our study uncovered that 41 per cent of girls who indulged in such premarital sexual activities ended up getting pregnant, and out of that number, 34 per cent are married off at very tender ages whereas eight per cent were compelled by the circumstances at hand to drop out of school”, he lamented.
Mr. Anabiga again said that in spite of efforts to increase sexual education to adolescent girls, most parents did not appreciate the fact that some of their daughters were exposed to sex at very early stages of their life until they showed up pregnant.
“Wa East is one of the poorest districts in the region yet existing data and media reports indicate that early and unprotected sexual practices by adolescents are a common trend that exposes them to many reproductive health challenges such as unplanned teenage pregnancies, school dropouts, unsafe abortion, and sexually transmitted infections and diseases (STIs/STDs)”, he said.
He said the study suggested that to help solve the problem, parents, District Assembly, Member of Parliament for the area as well as government should initiate moves that would help support the girls and protect them from unscrupulous men.
“Parents must perform their responsibilities to the core, bearing in mind that each child they bring forth is their responsibility; the district assembly and office of the MP should support girls with sanitary pads as well as provide funding for programmes aimed at educating the girls on sexual and reproductive health”, he said.
On the whole, the speaker of the Youth Parliament called on government to introduce free sanitary pad policy to ensure that girls in rural and deprived communities had access to the sanitary towels without having to pay for them as he believed such policies would save the girls from engaging in promiscuity in order to raise money for the pad.
From Lydia Darlington Fordjour, Wa
The Global Network of Export-Import Banks and Development Finance Institutions (G-NEXID) successfully held its sixth (6th) Exchange Programme, hosted by the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) Bank in Accra from March 22 to 23 March.
The event brought together member institutions, partner organisations and Ghanaian public entities to advance dialogue on South-South trade, investment and development finance, while also creating opportunities for knowledge-sharing and institutional cooperation.
Organised as a capacity-building and networking platform, the 2026 edition of the G-NEXID Exchange focused on GEXIM’s experience in developing innovative solutions to promote intra-African and extra-African trade.
It also highlighted trade and investment opportunities in Ghana, particularly in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and broader national development initiatives.
The Exchange Programme forms part of G-NEXID’s mandate to foster cooperation among export-import banks and development finance institutions in support of South-South trade and investment.
This 6th edition follows earlier successful programmes hosted by India Exim Bank (2016), BNDES (2017), Indonesia Eximbank (2018), Afreximbank (2019) and Saudi EXIM Bank (2025).
On the first day, participants were presented with G-NEXID institutional information and received an update on the Network’s 2026 work programme.
There were a series of substantive presentations, including an overview of the Ghanaian economy by the Ministry of Finance, with particular attention to debt-related challenges; a presentation by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), on investment opportunities in the country; and institutional presentations by GEXIM and Development Bank Ghana (DBG) on their respective mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Discussions during the sessions underscored strong interest in sector-focused webinars and business dialogues, particularly in agribusiness value chains such as poultry and rice.
Participants also emphasized the importance of continued information exchange and the sharing of best practices, especially in the area of guarantees.
The second day opened with a presentation on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme, a national economic transformation strategy launched by President John Dramani Mahama in July 2025.
The initiative aims to enhance economic productivity through continuous industrial activity, accelerated export development and strategic import substitution.
As the programme is expected to mobilise both private and development capital, it presents concrete opportunities for G-NEXID members in areas such as co-financing, guarantees, trade finance and technical cooperation.
The programme also featured institutional presentations by guest organisations, namely the African Guarantee and Economic Cooperation Fund (FAGACE) and the West African Development Bank (BOAD), which shared their mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Following these exchanges, the G-NEXID Secretariat held bilateral discussions with both institutions as part of the Network’s ongoing membership drive.
Participants further benefited from a presentation by the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB), as well as a showcase of GEXIM’s key pipeline projects.
On the margins of the Exchange Programme, G-NEXID members also held their 20th Annual General Assembly Meeting to review progress and discuss strategic priorities.
Following the event, participants joined the GEXIM@10 International Conference, held from March 24-25, 2026 under the theme, “A Decade of Enabling Export Trade and Industrial Transformation: Resetting GEXIM for the Next Frontier.”
The conference provided an important platform for exploring how Ghana can strengthen its transition from a primary commodity exporter to a more competitive player in value-added trade and industrial development.
Source – G-NEXID
President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, signed five bills including three amendment bills passed by Parliament into law.
They are: Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill, 2025; University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Bill, 2025; Ghana Deposit Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Growth and Sustainability Levy (Amendment) Bill, 2026; and Education Regulatory Bodies (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
In a brief remark after assenting to the bills, President Mahama explained that the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2026, scraps the Office of Minister of National Security and frees the President’s to appoint any Minister to supervise the security agencies.
He said it also reverses the name of the office of National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), to the original name, Bureau of National Intelligence, (BNI).
This the President said, addresses the confusion between that security agency and a well-known Ghanaian financial institution, the National Investment Bank.
President Mahama also noted that the University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Act, 2026, establishes another University in the Eastern Region, at Bonsu, with three campuses – the main campus at Bonsu in the Eastern Region, with the second campus to be cited at Ohawu in the Oti Region.
The third, the Presdient assed will be located at Acherensua in the Ahafo Region.
Touching on the Amendment to the Growth and Sustainability Levy Act, the President said, “As you’re aware, the act was amended to increase it from 1% to 3%, and so this act reduces it again. That is the levy on mining companies. It reduces it again to 1%, because of the introduction of the sliding scale of royalties.”
He also spoke to the passage of the Government Education Regulatory Bodies Amendment Act, emphasising that amends Act 1023 to grant greater flexibility to private tertiary institutions and the option to Charter.
The Ghana Deposit Protection Amendment Act, the President concluded, is an amendment to an original act that was supposed to guarantee deposits held in commercial banks or financial institutions.
It basically expands protection to include mobile money wallets and other digital platforms, ensuring a wider scope of digital financial assets are secured.
The signing ceremony, was witnessed by the Clerk of Parliament, Mr. Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, Secretary to the President, Dr Callistus Mahama, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Dr Dominic Akrutinga Ayine, Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, a Senior Presidential Advisor and a Special Aide to the President, Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, and the Vice President, Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang.
