Navigating Menstrual Taboos in Rural Ghana: The Subjective Experiences of Adolescent Schoolgirls

Berghahn Journals, United States, New York. 2025. Vol. 18. No. 1. P. 20–37.

Menstrual taboos, despite their varied manifestations across cultures, remain universal phenomena that profoundly impact the lives of women and girls around the world. In this article, I draw on data collected in 2021 as part of an ongoing study in rural Ghana that focuses on girls’ experiences of imposed rules, in particular a taboo believed to be imposed by a deity that forbids them from crossing a sacred river during their menstrual period. I demonstrate how girls are subject to structural violence and persistent discrimination due to the widespread belief that menstrual blood makes them unclean. The narratives shared by participants highlight the complex interplay between tradition, social norms, and individual agency in revealing the deep-rooted fears and beliefs that underlie adherence to these cultural taboos.

Ключевые слова: education, discrimination, fear, coping, restrictions, Absenteeism, sanitary pads