A junior high school student from Bulsa South District has returned from an international adolescent girls’ summit in Côte d’Ivoire with plans to champion girls’ rights, menstrual hygiene and leadership among her peers.
Blessing Akperi, a student of Fumbisi Preparatory Junior High School and a Menstrual Hygiene Ambassador with Afrikids Ghana, recently paid a courtesy call on traditional authorities before addressing students and staff at her school following her participation in the 2026 Adolescent Girls Summit in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire.
Representing the district at the annual gathering, Akperi joined adolescent girls from across Africa to discuss issues affecting young women, including child marriage, teenage pregnancy, gender equality, gender justice and girls’ leadership.
“At the summit, we learned about child marriage, teenage pregnancy, girls’ leadership, gender equality and many more,” Akperi said. “We were also given an action plan from 2026 to 2028 aimed at improving girls’ dignity in our communities.”
Inspired by the experience, she has established a school club called Forward Thinkers, Voice to the Voiceless to educate students on gender justice, child marriage and menstrual hygiene management.
Akperi said the initiative seeks to build girls’ confidence and leadership skills while addressing challenges such as teenage pregnancy, child marriage and period poverty.
Although the government has begun distributing sanitary pads in schools, she noted that some girls still struggle to access menstrual products.
“I want to make sure all girls get the necessary information and support they need and, most importantly, build their confidence,” she said.
Akperi called on teachers and other stakeholders to help expand the project beyond her school by sharing information with students in other communities.
She also expressed gratitude to Afrikids Ghana for supporting adolescent girls and creating opportunities for them to develop leadership skills.
The visit included a courtesy call on the area chief, who was represented by Thomas Akanko, before Akperi met with her fellow students to share lessons from the summit and encourage them to become advocates for positive change in their communities.
