As part of the efforts to ensure proper menstrual hygiene in female students in Nigeria, a Non-Governmental Organization, His Marvellous Grace Support Foundation, has doled out dozens of sanitary pads to female students of United Senior High School Ikorodu in Lagos State.
The NGO spoke to the schoolgirls on the importance of personal hygienity before distributing the sanitary pads to them.
According to the NGO, the programme was achieved with support from the Lagos State Government and Ministry of Education, Peniel Solicitors, advocates, and clCapital Field Investment Group Limited.
Speaking on the project, the Chief Executive Officer of the NGO, Dr Oluwadamisi Tayo-Ladega said, “The programme which is titled ‘Freedom for girls’ is targeted at providing right information regarding menstrual hygiene and the issues surrounding menstruation to secondary school girls as well distributing sanitary pads.”
Tayo-Ladega, who expressed gratitude to the NGO’s partners on the project, and implored parents to ensure that young girls are well encouraged with adequate information on menstrual hygiene.
According to UNICEF, Menstrual hygiene management is the process whereby “women and adolescent girls use a clean menstrual hygiene management (MHM) material to absorb or collect blood that can be changed in privacy as often as necessary for the duration of the menstruation period, using soap and water for washing their bodies as required and having access to facilities to dispose of used menstrual management material”.
Meanwhile, findings have revealed that lack of appropriate facilities such as gender segregated improved toilet facilities, adequate safe water supply in schools for washing hands and soiled clothes, facility for drying of clothes and absence of sanitary menstrual materials can prevent girls from safe hygienic management of their menstruation.
These, according to findings, may result to absenteeism, reduced level of concentration in class, low participation in outside school activities like sports and school clean-up. There is a global evidence of lack of adequate guidance, facilities and materials for girls to manage their menstruation in school. These neglected public health, social and educational issues require prioritization, coordination and investmen.
In Nigeria, over 25% of girls lack adequate menstrual hygiene management. More specifically, adolescent girls in Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State face many challenges which affect their ability to manage menstruation in a dignified and hygienic way.