The Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Bauchi state chapter, has conducted a sensitization as well donated sanitary pads to girls and women in Bauchi community
The group said that the gesture was sponsored in partnership with Plan International Nigeria to improve menstrual hygiene management among women and girls.
It said that the donation was part of the activities organised to commemorate the 2023 World Menstral Hygiene Day held on Tuesday in Bauchi.
Addressing the gathering, the chairperson of the association, Hajiya Rashida Yusuf, said the gesture was to promote global best practices on Menstral Hygiene and Management, especially during menstrual cycle.
Rashida, who advocated on issues surrounding stigmatisation and harmful traditional practices on menstruation, advices parents and guardians to abolish such in the community.
“ We (NAWOJ) are in this community to sensitise the girl child appropriately, especially issues related to their wellbeing when menstruating.
“ Menstruation should not be a barrier in our children academics or stigma in relating with people in society,” Yusuf said.
Miss Zainab Sabitu, representative of Plan International, a non-governmental organisation in the state, called for adequate information on menstral hygiene and management to address issues around girl child education.
She underscored the health consequences of best practices on menstral hygiene that could lead to different forms of infections.
Sabitu demonstrated ways to tackle personal and environmental hygiene, stressing that it was imperative for adolescent girls to be educated on how to make good use of sanitary pads.
She therefore advocated for economic and financial support by male counterparts to ensure that global best practices were observed during the monthly cycles.
” Let me re-emphasize the need for the provision of sanitary pads because having access to sanitary materials to manage menstruation decreases the risk of infections,” Zainab said.
“I will, at this moment, advocate for our adolescent girls platform called Girsl Out Loud, where they can freely discuss issues relevant to them. It is safe and private online spaces for teenage girls who are within the age of 14 to 25yrs”. Zainab added.
Also speaking, the Ward Head of Dan’iya, Alhaji Sulaiman Bashir, said that information emanating from the engagement should be disseminated at various fora.
Bashir commended NAWOJ and Plan International for embarking on the sensitisation, assured to convey the message to the people of his community who did not attend.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Asma’u Mohammed expressed profound appreciation for the gesture, promised that women in the community would utilise all the lessons learned for menstrual Hygiene and management.
