Ghanaian actress and activist Lydia Forson has fiercely criticized the rule requiring female students to cut their hair before entering senior high school, calling it a “colonial relic” that undermines Black identity and self-worth.
Her comments follow Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu’s recent declaration that long or unkempt hairstyles will not be tolerated in senior high schools, emphasizing discipline and grooming as central to maintaining order in schools.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Forson — known for her Afrocentric advocacy — recounted her own experience of being forced to cut her hair when she returned to Ghana for senior high school, while her Black American and Caucasian classmates were allowed to keep theirs.
“Unfortunately, this statement alone exposes the real problem,” she wrote. “It reveals the belief that hair is somehow tied to vanity — that beauty, not identity, is what defines how young girls and even boys wear their hair.”
Forson argued that the so-called “discipline” in Ghanaian schools unfairly targets local students, noting that foreign or expatriate students are often exempt.
“If you’re a foreigner, even an African with a different passport, you’re often exempt. And strangely somehow, students are able to learn, survive, and excel enough to pass exams and make it to secondary school — but suddenly, it’s there their hair becomes a problem?” she questioned.
She also challenged the moral arguments behind the policy, pointing out that cutting hair has not prevented cases of harassment or abuse in schools.
“And the irony? Even with all the hair-cutting in the name of ‘morality’ and ‘discipline,’ girls are still being harassed, abused, and raped — often by the very people meant to protect and guide them,” she wrote.
Forson asserted that the haircut rule erodes confidence among young African girls, teaching them that their natural hair is unworthy unless altered with wigs, extensions, or imported human hair.
In a series of tweets, she criticized Ghana’s “morality gatekeeping,” describing it as hypocritical and outdated.
“As if any girl with trimmed hair is automatically disciplined or morally upright compared to one who keeps hers natural or plaited,” she added.
Her remarks have once again ignited public debate about whether discipline in Ghana’s schools should come at the expense of cultural expression and personal identity.
Unfortunately this statement alone exposes the real problem.
It reveals the belief that hair is somehow tied to vanity — that beauty, not identity, is what defines how young girls and even boys wear their hair.
What’s interesting is that , this so-called “discipline” only… https://t.co/ig1YKHGWbY
">https://twitter.com/lydiaforson/status/1982526551712210972?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2025
— (@lydiaforson) October 26, 2025
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The interesting thing here is that if given a choice, a lot of students would actually choose to keep their hair short.
Mine was short for several months after school, I’ve always loved short hair.But I only permed it because it felt like the “next thing” to do after secondary…
">https://twitter.com/lydiaforson/status/1982717461343473665?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2025
— (@lydiaforson) October 27, 2025
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Like it or not, the problem isn’t long hair — it’s BLACK HAIR.
Because long after school and into the workplace, locs and certain natural hairstyles are still frowned upon. It’s only in recent years that we’ve begun to see real acceptance.Yet, somehow, weaves remain more…
">https://twitter.com/lydiaforson/status/1982757548592628049?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2025
— (@lydiaforson) October 27, 2025
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Let’s me try, although these are just a few points,hopefully it can cover some.
1. I was forced to cut my hair when I came to Ghana, and yes, it was traumatic. I didn’t understand how that had any effect on my learning.
For years I carried shame about something as natural as… https://t.co/EARAZvUZbv
— miss forson (@lydiaforson)
">https://twitter.com/lydiaforson/status/1982798197249458667?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2025
— (@lydiaforson) October 27, 2025
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