KUMASI: Access to water is an essential component in ensuring adequate menstrual hygiene management for women and girls, stated Ms. Charlotte Akwaah-Adjei, Head of Capacity Building at the GAMA/GKMA Sanitation and Water Project (SWP). She emphasized that proper menstrual hygiene is crucial for enabling women and girls to achieve their full potential. According to Ghana News Agency, Ms. Akwaah-Adjei highlighted that in the absence of key resources like water, the menstrual health of women and girls could be significantly compromised. She pointed out that water is indispensable, particularly for girls during menstruation, who need to maintain hygiene by bathing twice daily. In communities where water is scarce, this aspect of menstrual management becomes a challenge. The GAMA/GKMA SWP, which focuses on institutional strengthening and capacity development, addresses menstrual hygiene management for adolescent girls, women, and girls with special needs in schools and communities. The project has implemented fac ilities such as changing rooms equipped with sufficient water for personal hygiene. Over the past three and a half years, the project has established approximately 120 water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities within the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area (GKMA). Ms. Akwaah-Adjei underscored the importance of early menstrual education, noting that some girls begin menstruating as early as age eight. A World Bank context indicates that over 300 million women are menstruating on any given day, with an estimated 500 million lacking access to menstrual products and adequate menstrual hygiene facilities. The GAMA/GKMA SWP, supported by a World Bank grant, aims to expand menstrual education and strengthen WASH sector institutions to meet global sanitation and water access goals. The initiative is part of a broader effort by the Ghanaian government, through the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, to enhance sanitation and water supply in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) and GKMA.