Women who have just had sex and those in their menstrual periods are not allowed to cook Wasawasa, a popular staple made from yam in some parts of northern Ghana.

The people believe that, the food doesn't like filth and therefore, a woman needs cleansing when she has sex in order to be fit to prepare Wasawasa. 

"...if you have sex with your husband, you have to take a spiritual bath, otherwise the food won't come out well," 19-year-old Ashietu who sells the food, told Joy News' Justice Baidoo. 

The meal is prepared from pounded dried yam. The yam is mixed with red beans and then boiled for hours until it turns into a rice meal.

The preparation is also very tedious and it takes a long while to complete as another engaged in the business, 'Maa Adiza', said: "when you start preparing it at 6:00 am in the morning, you will finish at 3:00 pm in the afternoon."

This not withstading, the residents describe Wasawasa as a nutricious meal that gives a lot of energy. 

Watch the Joy News exclusive below:

This is not the only situation where traditional beliefs and myths have stood on the rights of the vulnerable in society.

In January 2018, Joy News broke the story of school girls who are barred by the gods from crossing the River Ofin when they are menstruating.

Read: Schools girls not allowed to cross River Ofin on Tuesdays and during menstruation

The situation takes a bad toll on academics of the girls because they have no schools in their communities and will have to cross the River Ofin from Ashanti Region to the Central Region to access education.