For decades, Ghanaian schoolgirls have been required to cut their hair before entering school and to keep it low throughout basic education. While low haircuts are culturally normal for boys, forcing girls to shave is not a Ghanaian tradition. It is a disciplinary rule inherited from colonial mission schools—yet it remains part of our educational system, despite the social and cultural harm it causes. 

A Rule We Inherited — Not One Rooted in Ghanaian Culture

Historical research makes it clear: the practice of shaving girls’ hair in school did not originate from Ghanaian customs. Missionaries and British colonial administrators introduced it as part of their system of strict control, uniformity, and religious assimilation. Before colonial influence, Ghanaian girls wore a wide range of neat cultural hairstyles including threading, cornrows, twists, braids, and puffs.

Shaving was used only in rare situations among a few royal families for ritual or spiritual purposes—not as a nationwide grooming rule for every girl.

Yet today, a colonial rule has become a normalised national practice.

What Girls Lose When Their Hair Is Cut

Shaving a girl’s hair may appear simple, but the effects are deep and long-lasting. Girls lose:

Cultural identity Feminine expression Self-confidence during crucial developmental years Connection to their heritage Early vocational skills such as threading, twisting, and cornrowing Knowledge of natural hair care, leading many to fear their own hair texture

For many girls, shaving becomes the beginning of a lifelong struggle with identity and self-image. Many Ghanaian women only begin learning about their natural hair in adulthood—after years of being disconnected from it during school.

The Unequal Impact on Boys and Girls

Even when policies claim to treat boys and girls “equally,” the consequences are not equal. Boys do not lose cultural identity when they shave. Girls do. Hair for girls is not just grooming—it is tied to culture, gender expression, self-esteem, and belonging.

A rule that affects both genders on paper still harms girls disproportionately in reality.

Neat African Hairstyles Are Not Indiscipline

There is no evidence—academic, hygienic, or disciplinary—that shaving improves academic performance or behavior. Meanwhile, neat African hairstyles such as straight-back cornrows, threading, twists, and rubber-band sectioning are:

clean simple low maintenance affordable protective for natural hair culturally appropriate

These styles align with discipline without erasing identity. Ghanaian girls can look neat and be themselves at the same time.

The Economic Cost of a Colonial Rule

Because girls grow up shaved, many never learn natural hair maintenance. This leads to dependence on wigs and synthetic extensions—industries dominated by foreign companies. As a result:

Ghana imports millions of cedis worth of synthetic hair Hands-on cultural skills decline The beauty economy benefits foreign manufacturers more than local creators

A colonial grooming rule now feeds a modern economic dependency.

Time for National Reflection

If the haircut rule is colonial…
If it is not rooted in Ghanaian culture…
If it harms girls’ confidence and identity…
If it no longer serves educational purpose…

Then Ghana must reconsider its place in modern schooling.

Revising the rule is not rebellion—it is restoration.

Our Girls Deserve Options — Not Erasure

Ghanaian girls deserve the right to:

grow their natural hair express their identity maintain cultural hairstyles learn grooming skills build confidence in their femininity and heritage

A country building a confident future cannot shave away the cultural identity of its daughters.

It is time for Ghana to update the policy—
not the girls’ hair. 

FURTHER READING

For readers wanting deeper context:

Doris Essah — Fashioning the Nation: Hairdressing and Gender in Ghana Jean Allman — The Politics of African Hair Akosua Adomako Ampofo — Research on African identity and colonial influence Irene Odotei — Studies on Ghanaian cultural traditions

 

 

This paper is authored by Dr. Shirley Ayangbah, Founder and Lead Consultant at Global Economic Research Consulting (GERC). She is an international law and economics professional with advanced training in international economic law, sustainable development, and economic policy. Dr. Ayangbah uses her interdisciplinary background to analyse social issues, advocate for women’s empowerment, and promote culturally grounded development solutions in Africa.