In a bid to address a critical issue affecting girls’ health and education, the non-governmental organization, FemPawa Africa, has urged governments at all levels to provide free sanitary pads.
This call to action was echoed by the organization’s founder, Ms Dorkong Rimdan, during a recent outreach event held 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 during menstruation hence the lesson on reusable pads.
_“first of all, if we can have free condoms, why cant we have free pads, if we have have free toilets rolls I the nathroom so why not pads… sex is an option but menstruation is not a choice and a lot of people cant access sanitary pads”_
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While teaching the students on how to make and take care of reusuable pads, Ms Rimdan also stressed the importance of lifting taxes on sanitary pads to enhance accessibility and affordability for all women, especially those from marginalized communities.
_“one is about 700 naira a day and you can see how expensive this is and a girl needs 3 or 4 a day bcos she cant use 1 d pad for the whole day as it might cause urinary track infection, reproductive issues when they grow up so if I was in government I will 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 menstruation hygiene.
Mrs Amele highlighted the need to equip girls with accurate information and empower them to adopt healthy practices from a young age, thereby 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, noting how 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, she also encouraged us not to feel ashamed when we are on our period and taught us how to wear our pads and different type of pads, I’ve learnt a lot how to feel , how to walk, how to act and how to behave like a queen on her period”_
For his part, 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.
At the end, sanitary pads and kits for reusable pads were distributed to young female students.
