Gender-Sensitive School Leadership for Menstrual Hygiene, Physical Activity Participation, and School Health in Ghanaian Basic Schools: A Narrative Literature Review.

Abstract:

Girls’ participation in school life is shaped not only by academic opportunity but also by whether schools respond adequately to menstrual hygiene needs, dignity, and safe participation in physical activity. This narrative literature review examined how school leadership can support menstrual hygiene and girls’ participation in physical activity and identified gender-sensitive strategies for improving school health in Ghanaian basic schools. Relevant peer reviewed studies published mainly between 2021 and 2026 were identified through database searching, screened for relevance, and synthesised thematically. The review found that effective support depends on leadership practices such as privacy-sensitive school routines, access to menstrual materials and WASH facilities, teacher support, stigma reduction, and flexible participation structures for girls during menstruation. The literature also shows that menstruation can reduce girls’ confidence, attendance, and willingness to engage in physical activity when schools are poorly prepared or when social norms remain unsupportive. In Ghana, evidence points to inadequate school preparedness for menstrual hygiene management and continuing barriers to girls’ full participation in school life. The review contributes to school health scholarship by integrating menstrual hygiene, physical activity participation, and gender-sensitive school leadership within one framework and argues that strategic leadership is essential for dignified and inclusive school health.