The Minister of Women Affairs Dame Pauline Tallen, has called for inclusion of women and girls with disability in the advocacy for menstrual health and hygiene management.
She made the call in Abuja at training organised by a non-governmental organisation Tabitha Cumi Foundation in commemoration of the 2022 Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management Day celebration at the Abuja School of the Deaf, Kuje.
The minister, represented by a staff of the ministry, Ms Gloria Ekanem, highlighted the challenges faced by girls and women with disabilities and stressed the need for their inclusion in all infrastructural designs, policies and provision of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities to support them.
“Infrastructure design is an inevitable part of menstrual health and hygiene. Partnering with women and girls with disability organisations and organisations of persons with disability through out the cycle of menstrual health programming will help to identify the needs of women and girls disability and design or adapt menstrual health and hygiene programme to be inclusive without leaving anyone behind.
The Executive Director, Tabitha Cumi Foundation, Mrs Tayo Erinle, explained that the choice of empowering girls with disabilities was to educate them on how to manage their menstrual period hygienically, increase their self-esteem and reduce school absenteeism.
“Many of them are not able to carry out this menstruation in a hygienic way, so there is shame, reproach and they are not confident, apart from the taboos and the myths that surrounds menstruation. The Always Keeping Girls In School project, apart from a supply of sanitary products, is to educate them to take away the myths and taboos and replace it with the proper knowledge about menstruation that it is nothing to be ashamed of.”
The Principal of the school, Mr Razak Sirajo, expressed appreciation to the government and organizers, for the one-year supply of the sanitary pad and other hygiene kits which would provide succour for the students, who are mostly from less privileged homes.
Highlights of the event was the distribution of hygiene kits and sanitary pad as part of the “Always Keeping Girls in School project” sponsored by Procter and Gamble to empower 1,500 girls in 20 FCT schools and 10 schools in Abeokuta, Ogun state .
COV/AZIZATU SANI
