The Women’s Rights and Health Project (WRAHP), through its youth development arm, the Ireti Young Leadership Program (IYLP), has successfully concluded a comprehensive menstrual health education campaign across secondary schools in Lagos State, reaching a total of 1,512 adolescents, including 610 boys and 902 girls.
The initiative, supported by the Ishk Tolaram Foundation, was designed to improve adolescent health literacy, promote body confidence, and break long-standing myths and stigma surrounding menstruation. Using The Period Comic, a medically reviewed and youth-friendly educational tool, facilitators engaged students in open, interactive, and stigma-free discussions on puberty, menstrual hygiene, and personal care.
Over several weeks, the WRAHP team delivered sessions across private and public schools including Excel College (Ejigbo), Pleasant Life Secondary School (Ilasamaja), Emerald Schools (Ilasamaja), Living Spring Hi-Grade College (Ilasamaja), Oluwole Christ the King School (Ejigbo), and Baptist Model School (Ijegun).
The sessions featured:
Age-appropriate menstrual health education
Demonstrations on proper sanitary pad use and disposal
Guidance on personal hygiene during menstruation
Mixed-gender discussions to normalize menstrual conversation
Distribution of sanitary pads and hygiene supplies
A key focus of the programme was inclusivity. Boys were intentionally engaged as informed allies, helping foster empathy, reduce stigma, and promote healthier school environments.
Speaking on the impact of the initiative, Mrs. Bose Ironsi, Executive Director of WRAHP, emphasized the importance of empowering both male and female adolescents with accurate information.
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“Menstrual health is human health. When we empower adolescents, both girls and boys, with the right information, we dismantle silence and build a supportive environment where every young person can thrive. Through this programme, we are changing the narrative for the next generation.”
By providing adolescents with accurate menstrual health knowledge, WRAHP has strengthened school-based health literacy, improved confidence among young people, and encouraged positive peer support systems. The intervention also contributes to long-term efforts to reduce menstrual stigma and improve adolescent health outcomes in Lagos State.
The Ireti Young Leadership Program remains committed to helping young people build knowledge, leadership, and self-awareness, while WRAHP continues to drive its mission of promoting health, protecting rights, and fostering safer communities.
