By Lizzy Carr
Experts have again raised concern over poor access to menstrual hygiene materials and sanitary pads among women of reproductive age and adolescents girls in Nigeria.
They spoke at a rally to commemorate this year’s World Menstrual Hygiene Day, with the theme “We are Committed”, held at the Bauchi state ministry of Women Affairs and Child Development.
The event, organised by Ministries of Women Affairs, Health, Plan International and Community Initiative for the Promotion of Health and Education Sectors (CIPrHES) was attended by students and women groups.
Addressing female students and women groups, a representative of Plan International Bauchi, Afolabi Ahmed Shola, said it has been observed that 25% of women and adolescents girls in Nigeria lack adequate privacy to the menstrual hygiene management facility.
“Women and girls are still being discriminated against in the society during menstruation, also many girls don’t have equal opportunity to attend same hours in class with their boys counterparts, due to lack of access to menstrual hygiene and sanitary materials, including water and toilet facilities”.
Shola stressed the need for mothers and teachers to feel free and to discuss menstrual hygiene with young girls to build their confidence and promote menstrual hygiene.
The menstrual Hygiene Management is a 600 Million Dollar 2 year project funded by Kimberly Clark Corp and is implemented by Plan International.
The objective according to Shola is to increase the individual and collective agency of women and adolescent girls to exercise their rights to gender responsive adolescent friendly and incisive menstrual hygiene management.
The project, he added, will increase access of women and girls, men and boys to menstrual Hygiene Management knowledge and education, using safe, traditional and innovative communication mechanism.
Shola said the project will be implemented in three local government areas of Bauchi, Katagum and Ningi and 200.000 individuals that include in and out of school adolescent girls, community and traditional leaders.
In her address, Bauchi State commissioner of women affairs and child development, Hajara Gidado called for more commitment on the part of stakeholders to address issues affecting poor menstrual hygiene management.
Gidado thanked Plan International, Kotex and CIPrHES, for choosing Bauchi as one of the benefiting states of their Menstrual Hygiene Management Project, reiterating the ministry’s commitment in sustaining collaboration with them to address issues relating to menstrual hygiene.