World Menstrual Hygiene Day: Advocates Urge for Menstruation-Friendly Environments

World Menstrual Hygiene Day is celebrated on May 28 each year to promote awareness of menstrual hygiene management's importance and to combat the stigma associated with menstruation.

In observance of World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2024 and its theme, #PeriodFriendlyWorld, advocacy groups for women and girls are urging governments and stakeholders to establish menstruation-friendly schools and workplaces.

They highlighted the significance of proper menstrual hygiene management and the necessity for access to sanitary products.

These groups, through individual statements to PUNCH Healthwise on Tuesday, also advocated for the eradication of menstrual stigma.

World Menstrual Hygiene Day is celebrated on May 28 each year to promote awareness of menstrual hygiene management's importance and to combat the stigma associated with menstruation.

Menstruation, commonly referred to as a period, is the biological process of shedding blood and tissue from the uterine lining, which is then expelled from the body via the vagina.

PUNCH Healthwise recently addressed the struggles of young girls who, due to financial constraints, are unable to afford sanitary pads and resort to using old cloth pieces, increasing their risk of infections.

The Daurama Foundation, a group dedicated to empowering women and girls led by Dr. Samira Buhari, stated that they marked World Menstrual Hygiene Day by educating over 500 girls on menstrual health and hygiene.

Dr. Buhari remarked, "With over two billion people menstruating monthly worldwide, it's imperative for Nigerian girls to have the necessary sanitary resources for safe and hygienic period management.

"Promoting menstrual health is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, which advocate for gender equality, quality education, and overall health and well-being. We must normalize menstruation discussions and act to eliminate period poverty," she added.

She disclosed that the foundation provided sanitary pads to JSS Secondary School students in Wuse, Zone 3, Abuja.

Mrs. Adebimpe Ojo, the school principal, expressed appreciation for the foundation's donation of sanitary pads and menstrual hygiene education.

Student Emmanuel Perfection shared, "The sanitary pads and menstrual health information I received today have been incredibly beneficial. I now feel more equipped and confident. My thanks go to Dr. Buhari and the Daurama Foundation for their support."

Additionally, the foundation contributed 500 sanitary pads to the WASH program in Borno State and reiterated its dedication to leading menstrual hygiene management and awareness efforts in Nigeria.

Ogene Ogbodo, a period-friendly advocate and leader of the Town Crier Initiative, called on authorities, WASH specialists, policymakers, industry leaders, and stakeholders to create menstruation-friendly workplaces.

He encouraged men to participate in providing period kits for their daughters, colleagues, and friends, noting that this would contribute to dismantling menstrual stigma.

Ogbodo stated, "This year's Menstrual Hygiene Day theme, #PeriodFriendlyWorld, inspires us to advocate for and build a world free from menstrual taboos and stigma, where everyone has access to quality menstrual products, education, and menstruation-friendly facilities.

"At Town Crier Initiative, we're committed to using sports, academics, and outdoor activities to educate young girls and boys, normalize menstruation, and foster open, stigma-free discussions about periods.

"Our MHDay 2024 'Period Debate' campaign aims to use academic debates between girls and boys to stimulate menstruation discussions, dispel myths, and distribute sanitary kits to 300 young girls in Enugu and Abuja," he concluded.

Janet Ogundepo

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