Nigerian Foundation Tackles Period Poverty, Reaches 10,000 Girls

The Pad Me A Girl Empowerment Foundation is intensifying its fight against period poverty in Nigeria, calling for a unified national effort. The organization urges governments, educational institutions, corporations, parents, and development partners to collaborate, ensuring that menstruation does not impede any girl's access to education, dignity, or opportunity. This call to action was made during the recent commemoration of World Menstrual Hygiene Day, themed 'The Pad Bank Movement: Ending Period Poverty Together.'

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The Pad Bank is more than a storage facility for sanitary pads. It is a symbol of hope, dignity, inclusion and empowerment. It ensures that no girl has to suffer in silence because of her period.

Founder Theresa Moses highlighted the foundation's significant impact, having reached more than 10,000 girls and women. Their work encompasses menstrual health education, advocacy campaigns, the distribution of sanitary pads, and empowerment programs delivered across schools, rural communities, and underserved areas. Moses emphasized that period poverty remains a critical issue, leading to school absenteeism, social exclusion, and the use of unsafe alternatives due to a lack of access to proper menstrual products.

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Your period should never stop you from achieving your dreams. Speak up when you need support, ask questions and take pride in who you are.

To address this, the foundation established the "Pad Bank Movement." Moses described this initiative as more than just a storage facility for sanitary pads; it is a symbol of hope, dignity, inclusion, and empowerment. The movement aims to ensure girls have menstrual products readily available, preventing them from suffering in silence. Moses stressed that menstruation is a natural biological process that should never be a source of shame or a barrier to personal development.

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There are girls who stay home for several days every month because they have no menstrual products. Imagine missing classes every month through no fault of your own.

Media expert and life coach Amina Omoike delivered an educational session during the event, emphasizing the need to dismantle societal stigma surrounding menstruation. She explained that period poverty extends beyond the inability to afford sanitary pads, encompassing a lack of access to clean water, adequate sanitation, accurate health information, and social support. The consequences, she noted, include school absenteeism, low self-esteem, health risks, anxiety, and social isolation. Omoike encouraged girls to embrace menstruation as a normal aspect of growth and health, urging them to seek information, support one another, and challenge harmful myths.

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Never let your period make you feel less valuable