As the world marked this year's Menstrual Hygiene Day, the Daurama Foundation has called for increased awareness among young girls to eliminate the panic and stigmatisation associated with menstruation. The foundation also urged the government to treat support for menstrual hygiene with the seriousness it deserves to protect women and girls from the ordeals associated with the monthly cycle.
Founder's Call During Abuja Campaign
Founder of the foundation, Samira Buhari, made the call yesterday during a campaign in Abuja, where she expressed concern over recent assessments of menstrual health and hygiene in Nigeria. According to her, more than 26 per cent of girls lack the necessary information about menstruation before experiencing their first period. She added that only about 19 per cent of girls receive menstrual health education in school, while over 30 per cent of schools across the country lack private latrines or safe spaces where girls can change menstrual materials.
Ending Embarrassment and Panic
Buhari urged society to help eliminate the embarrassment, humiliation and panic that often accompany a girl's first menstrual experience due to ignorance. “A girl's period should not begin with panic in a classroom, a sweater tied tightly around the waist or the terror of a stain spreading across a school uniform,” she said. She also lamented that only about nine per cent of girls reported the availability of bins for disposing of menstrual waste, while a quarter of adolescent girls and women aged between 15 and 49 said they missed work or school during menstruation because of unfriendly environments.
Structural Exclusion and Poverty
“This is not a marginal discomfort but a structural exclusion repeated monthly on a national scale. Then, there is the cruelty of cost. In some parts of North-Eastern Nigeria, 62 per cent of women and girls reported poor menstrual management due to the high poverty rate,” Buhari said. She urged society to break the silence surrounding menstruation, stressing that the issue had for years been met with shame and apathy, leaving many young girls vulnerable to challenges associated with their menstrual period.
