Menstrual Hygiene: Lagos seeks to end school girls’ plight, doles out 4,000 sanitary pads
By Moses Adeniyi
The Lagos State Government (LASG) has waded into relieving the plight of school girls, seeking to allay the impact poverty could pose on managing their menstrual hygiene.
The Government as part of its intervention has doled out no less than 4,000 sanitary towels, which as gathered by NewsDirect, are ready for distribution to school girls across the six educational districts in the State.
The initiative which is championed by the State’s Office of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Investments, is centred around actualisation of the SDGs 2030 with special attention to gender equality, poverty eradication, promoting good health and well being.
On Thursday, at an official ceremony to commence the distribution of sanitary towels to female students in secondary schools across the State, under the End Period Poverty Programme held at the State Capital, Ikeja, the Permanent Secretary, Office of Sustainable Development Goals and Investment, Mrs. Abosede George acknowledged the Governor Sanwo-Olu led government shared aspiration towards ending poverty in all ramifications and promoting gender equality.
She described the initiative as a crucial step towards ensuring good health and wellbeing among the children in the State’s public schools, noting that poor menstrual health and hygiene undercuts fundamental rights, including the right to work and go to school for women and girls who have clocked maturity for menstruation.
Acknowledging the urgency of the matter, Mrs George said the Office of SDGs and Investment launched a pad bank project to ensure that female students in public secondary schools have access to menstrual products for hygiene.
“Access to menstrual products and proper sanitation facilities is not just a matter of convenience, it is a matter of fundamental rights and dignity. Poor menstrual health and hygiene limit the opportunities for our women and girls.
“When our children cannot afford proper menstrual hygiene items such as tampons and sanitary towels or are lacking adequate Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities to carry out proper menstrual hygiene, they are denied quality education,” she stated, noting that it has been keeping school girls away from school during their cycle.
According to her, “It is not surprising that the United Nations set aside every 28th of May as the World Menstrual Hygiene Day to call the attention of policy makers to the burden experienced by girls and women as a result to their inability to access menstrual kits. By promoting proper menstrual hygiene, we empower young girls to focus on their education and personal development without the added burden of period poverty.”
She revealed that having taken cognisance of the complex challenges that are associated with period poverty, Governor Sanwo-Olu has continued to advocate for multi-dimensional approach to ensure the health and wellbeing of women and girls are prioritized and that they are more comfortable during their cycle.
While stating that the State Government has been at the forefront of purposeful leadership in the effort towards the actualisation of key targets of the United Nations 2030 Agenda, she explained that the present administration’s developmental policy through T.H.E.M.E.S Plus Agenda addresses key targets of the global ambition.
She acknowledged that to break the silence around menstruation and bequeathe a more inclusive and equitable future, demands the contribution of private sector partners, non-governmental organizations, and civil society organisations, to support government “in this important mission and create lasting change in improving the lives of thousands of young girls and women across our State.”
“We must recognise the far-reaching impact of period poverty on the lives of women and girls and remain committed to finding holistic solutions to address this pressing issue. Tackling period poverty requires a comprehensive approach that goes beyond just providing menstrual products.
“It involves addressing the underlying factors that contribute to this problem, including access to proper sanitation facilities, education, and awareness,” she emphasised.
With a total of 4000 sanitary pads distributed to female students in the six Education Districts of the State, the SDGs and Investment Office pledged to continue the project with support from private sector, NGOs and the civil society organisations.
Remarking, the Permanent Secretary, Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), Lagos State, Mrs. Olubusola Abidakun, told the students that their “menstrual cycle is divine” and a pride of their status growing into a woman, while urging them to assume duty of taking care of themselves.
Charging the students “when you see something, say something,” she told them to preserve their dignity, reminding them “your temple is the temple of the Lord.”
She charged the students to always report to the appropriate authorities every case of attempt by randy male teachers to exploit them sexually.
She reminded them that it is by preserving their sexual dignity that they can “stand tall, proud of themselves,” when they “make their body the temple of the Lord.”
Referring to efforts made to sanitise schools from randy teachers prone to abusing sexual sanctity of school girls, she further mentioned that Principals and School Authorities are working, trying the best to “remove the chaff from good ones.”
In her remarks, representive of the Nigerian Girls Guide Association, Lagos State Chapter, Chineyen Odiri, expressed gratitude for the initiative, mentioning “I think this is first of its kind by a State Government in Nigeria.”
Appreciating the State Government, a school girl, Victoria Sunday at the Agidingbi Senior Grammar School, SS2 Science, appreciated the Government and the SDGs and Investment Office, saying the initiative deserves an applause.
Victoria who is the head girl of the Agidingbi Senior Grammar School, said: “I want to thank the Lagos State Government and the SDGs and Investment Office for giving us these. Not everyone knows the need for sanitary towels especially with the female students. A lot of us know what our parents go through if we want to get sanitary towels. So, we are very grateful and we are not taking it for granted. We want to say a very big thank you.”
For Hussein Taiwo and Husainat Ojeniyi, school girls from Sanngo Junior Secondary School, Inclusive Agege, they said the package would save their parents money for buying sanitary pads, particularly given the situation in the Country.
“We say a very big thank you to Mr Governor,” they echoed.
A teacher, from Sanngo Junior Secondary School, Inclusive Agege, said the initiative “will really help the students because majority of them are from poor backgrounds and their parents cannot afford it.
“Some (students) are still using tissue paper, some use cloth (pieces) which make it smell and it stains their uniforms. So, giving them this pad will help the parent, if they can’t afford it, the students can easily use what were being given to them by the State Government. And when you’re neat, it boosts your morale. They will be able to work with their head straight up. So, it’s a very good initiative which I will implore Lagos State to continue doing to help the girl child.”
