A non-governmental organization, FemPawa Africa, is urging governments at all levels to provide free sanitary pads to women and girls.
The call to action was echoed by the organization's founder, Ms. Dorkong Rimdan, at a weekend outreach tocommemorate Menstrual Hygiene Day at Government Secondary School, Bwari in Abuja.
Ms. Rimdan emphasized the pressing need to tackle the escalating prices of sanitary pads, which often pose a financial burden and force girls to resort to unsafe alternatives when they menstruate.
“First of all, if we can have free condoms, why can’t we have free pads? If we have free toilet rolls in the bathroom, why not pads?” she asked.
“Sex is an option but menstruation is not a choice and a lot of people can’t access sanitary pads.”
While teaching the students how to make and maintain reusable pads, Ms. Rimdan stressed the importance of removing taxes on sanitary pads to enhance accessibility and affordability for all women, especially from marginalized communities.
“One is about N700 a day and you can see how expensive this is, and a girl needs three or four a day because she can’t use one pad for the whole day as it might cause urinary tract infection and reproductive issues when they grow up.
“If I were in government, I would make pads free everywhere and also remove the taxes on them.”
Joining the advocacy, Mrs. Lois Amele, the Executive Director of Good Tides Philippians Mission Foundation, emphasized the crucial role of education in promoting menstrual hygiene.
Mrs. Amele highlighted the need to equip girls with accurate information and empower them to adopt healthy practices from a young age, dispelling myths and ensuring their well-being.
Nwachukwu Deborah, the head girl of Government Secondary School, Bwari, expressed her gratitude for the NGO's efforts by saying the educational outreach has empowered her and her peers to embrace menstruation without stigma or fear.
She emphasized the importance of fostering a supportive environment where girls feel comfortable discussing menstrual health openly.
“She also encouraged us to feel like queens,” the head girl said.
“She encouraged us not to feel ashamed when we are on our period and taught us how to wear our pads and different types of pads.
“I’ve learned a lot about how to feel, walk, act, and behave like a queen on her period.”
For his part, the school’s vice principal (academics) Mr. Orunmbe Shola praised the initiative by FemPawa and its partners, noting the rarity of such campaigns reaching underserved areas like Bwari.
He commended the organizations for prioritizing the empowerment and well-being of girls and affirmed the school's commitment to supporting these efforts.
In the end, sanitary pads and kits for reusable pads were distributed to young female students.
