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Foundation advocates adequate sanitary facilities, free menstrual products
Folalumi Alaran
Plan international, an independent development and humanitarian non-profit organization has urged government and stakeholders to provide adequate sanitary facilities and free menstrual products to promote menstrual hygiene in the country.
The organization’s country director in Nigeria, Mr. Usie Charles, made the proposal during a one-day stakeholders meeting in Abuja on Tuesday to observe the annual world Menstrual Hygiene Day (MH Day), The event was themed: “menstrual matters: My period, My pride”.
He explained that menstruation, also known as menses, menstrual period, cycle, or period, is the monthly shedding of the lining of a woman’s uterus, often known as the womb, and that around 25% of women in Nigeria lack adequate privacy for menstrual hygiene management.
He further said that the annual Menstrual Hygiene Day is to highlight the importance of menstrual care, and raise awareness about issues faced by women and girls who don’t have access to clean water and sanitary products.
The day is also to highlight the importance of menstrual hygiene management that empowers women and girls to fully participate in societal chores and live a healthy life.
He said: “for plan intentional it is easy to join hands with stakeholders, in recent years we have provided 9000 kits to girls in Nigeria and provided information about menstrual Hygiene and increased knowledge about their period to over 6000 girls across the country”
“We have build 155 gender segregated toilets in schools which has provided enabling environment for young girls in school to experience their private menstrual health Hygienes”
He stressed that in the area of menstrual health there should not be any form of discrimination, according to age, religion or ethnic culture, adding that girls related matters are serious and very important irrespective of the culture or religion.
Meanwhile, officials from all government departments involved in WASH Actions praised the group and reaffirmed their promises and assistance for ensuring the provision of WASH infrastructure to schools and communities.
