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MH Day: Schoolgirls lack access to pads, uneducated on menstrual hygiene

At least 1000 girls living in Niger State will be padded to mark Menstrual Hygiene Day (MH Day), taking place today May 28 across the world. Some female journalists working in Niger State are going to ensure the targeted numbers of girls are padded under ‘The Pad A Girl Campaign.’ The MH Day was introduced by a Germanbased non-governmental organisation (NGO) WASH United in 2014. The day is celebrated annually every May 28.

Experts revealed that the particular date was chosen because averagely, the menstrual cycle for most women is 28 days, and the duration of the menstrual period for most women also is five days. The day is recognised globally to reach a goal where women and the girl-child will not be limited because of menstrual periods. MH Day around the world also serves as an occasion of eliminating negative social norms and also eradicating the taboo surrounding menstrual period. In Niger State, to commemorate the MH Day, a foundation under the aegis of Media Mentors Network in the state, has partnered two other organisations, Network of Reproductive Health Journalists and Succeeding Against All Odds, to make the event educative. Aside from comprehensive lectures on menstrual hygiene, the girls will also receive free pads.

The convener of the initiative, Miss Justina Asishana, a journalist with The Nation Newspaper, who is also the Executive Director of Media Mentors Network, said that the objective of the programme was to impart adequate knowledge about proper menstrual hygiene to the girl-child. She said: “The condition of some girl-child, especially those without access to sanitary pads during menstrual periods is not good.

The situation sometimes causes the girls to be absent from schools. They are afraid of the embarrassment and inconveniences that come with their uniforms being stained.” She further explained: “Instead of just giving lectures only to mark the MH Day, we will also pad the girls.

The beneficiaries are female students in secondary schools. What we do now is that when we get to a school, after the lecture, we’ll ask those who don’t have access to pads to be given. We’re trying to reach out to two or three schools. Last year, we did an informal outreach and noticed that a lot of girls did not have access to pads and many of them were not properly educated and sensitised on menstrual health hygiene.”

Asishana explained that girls in this category miss schools during their menstruation periods because they didn’t want to get stained. She added: “Although these pads may not be much, it will, however, protect them for a month or two. We had earlier planned to go for reusable pads, but those are too expensive for us to afford. So, we decided to go for the disposable ones.

Interested donors contribute money for a single pack of pad, which is N400, but some people prefer to donate the pads. We have received over 60 sanitary pads and we’re targeting 1000. However, even if we didn’t receive donations, since we’re three collaborators, we plan to task ourselves and contribute pads for 1000 girls on the programme, with strong determination to meet the target. The good news is that people are responding.”

Asishana explained she and other female journalists were trying to send a message to stakeholders, parents and governments on the need to improve menstrual hygiene of the girl-child. She advised that such hygiene should be encompassed in the school curriculum, so as to sensitise with adequate information on menstrual health.

She added that: “As an investigative journalist, I want to avoid compromise. I don’t plan to approach the government on the programme. However, if they see the impact of the programme, and want to come in, it is allowed. But there’s no intention of going to meet them first for assistance.” The Executive Director of Succeeding Against All Odds, Dr. Valda Martins, said that ‘The Pad A Girl Campaign’ was very essential for girls in Niger State. Asked why, she replied: “Last year, when I visited some schools, I observed that most of the girls, especially those in secondary schools,did not have the money to buy sanitary towels, so they use pieces of clothes, tissue paper or rags during their menstrual periods, which is not hygienic.”

She added: “This year, I deemed it fitting to collaborate with Media Mentors Network to pad up girls in Niger State. Health wise, it’s going to improve them and it will boost their confidence because when a girl is not able to use a pad, and is on her period, you’ll notice that she wouldn’t have self-confidence. She’ll be withdrawn, distracted and wouldn’t be herself.

She will spend most of the time checking to see if her uniform was stained.” Martins said such stains could make the girls develop mental health and affect them psychologically and emotionally. She also noted that this year’s MH Day programme was worth doing because it was an event that would have a long-lasting impact. She argued that a girl-child, who usually uses a sanitary towel usually, ends up feeling self-assured and comfortable and would naturally want to continue using it instead of pieces of torn clothes or rags. Martins said: “Last year, when I did an outreach, some of the girls said they had never used a sanitary towel before. This initiative will create a paradigm shift from the traditional system of using rags, to a modern, comfortable and hygienic way of handling the monthly flow.

‘The Pad A Girl Campaign,’ is a good project and I intend to keep it going. I’m hoping it will be a continuous programme with the help of people. Last year, when I did the outreach, I went with other items, but the girls were more interested in the pads. In fact, we finished all the sanitary pads we took there. The girls appreciated the pads given to them last year and asked me when I would be coming next.

That is why this year, when the Media Mentors Network came up with this year’s idea, I didn’t hesitate to collaborate with them. The collaboration is great because just one person cannot do much, but collaborating with other networks and initiatives will achieve more.

It’s always great to collaborate because it makes for a greater impact.” The Niger State Coordinator of the Network for Reproductive Health Journalists of Nigeria, Habiba Alabura, buttressing the point of Asishana and Martins, said that menstrual hygiene was an important part of the life of the girl-child and could either boost her confidence or create low self-esteem, especially during growing up stage. “In Niger State, it is observed that some girls do not go to school during their menstrual periods because they are scared of getting stained. For those who go to school, they do not use a sanitary towel.

They use tissue papers or clothes. We decided to collaborate because we want to make an impact in the lives of these girls. We will be donating our token to that which will be brought by Media Mentors Network and Succeeding Against All Odds. We hope to be able to reach 1000 girls in Niger State,” said Alabura. Alabura said that if she and other women could reach their target, they would make an impact. This was also as she noted that menstrual hygiene was important and everything should be done to ensure that sanitary pads were affordable for the girl-child. She added: “Just like condoms are being given free, the government and partners should also make sanitary pads free for secondary schoolgirls.

The secondary schoolgirls feel the impact more because they are just starting out. If they do not have proper menstrual hygiene, it can give rise to body odour and low self-esteem. We hope this gesture will create a change and make a greater impact. We’re coming in as journalists because we realised that our job should not only be about writing reports, but also about what is affecting the people. We should also adopt a corporate social responsibility to reach out to the vulnerable in society.”

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