The Carmelite Women Welfare Initiative (CAWIN), an NGO, said it has trained 540 female inmates across eight custodial centres in Umuahia, Onitsha, Agbor, Abakaliki, Enugu, Lagos, Jos and Port Harcourt in the production of reusable sanitary pads since 2020.
This was even as the company produced and donated 10,000 reusable sanitary pads to female inmates nationwide within the past five years.
The executive director of CAWIN, Rev. Fr. Jude Isiguzo, disclosed this during a four-day capacity-building workshop for the board, management, and staff of CAWIN on Wednesday in Enugu.
CAWIN, formerly known as the Female Inmates and Returned Citizens (FIRC) Multipurpose Cooperative Society since 2020, is technically supported by the Carmelite Prisoners’ Interest Organisation (CAPIO) and funded by Misean Cara (an Irish mission support group).
Isiguzo noted that since 2020, the NGO has established training centres and workshops for the production of reusable sanitary pads for female inmates (in the custodial centres) and returned citizens (that is, female ex-inmates).
“These training centres and their facilities were set up in Abia, Anambra, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Lagos, Plateau, Rivers States and the FCT Abuja custodial centres within the five years of existence of this NGO.
“This training centre produced and distributed over 10,000 homemade, comfortable, reusable sanitary pads free of charge to indigent female inmates in the custodial centres.
“Through these centres, CAWIN have trained 540 female inmates across eight custodial centres in Umuahia, Onitsha, Agbor, Abakaliki, Enugu, Lagos, Jos and Port Harcourt in the production of reusable sanitary pads,” he said.
The executive director said that the NGO had sensitised and improved the knowledge of over 600 female inmates on sexual rights, menstrual health and hygiene management.
“In the course of these years, CAWIN also provided vocational training to over 20 returned (inmates and ex-inmates) citizens in soap making, tailoring and computer literacy.
“Most of them, who are out of incarceration, are doing well by producing and selling these toiletries and home items; while those who learnt computer literacy are engaged with the skill within their neighbourhoods,” he added.
Isiguzo noted that CAWIN aimed to achieve an all-inclusive and safe platform for all female inmates and foreign returned inmates serving in custodial centres nationwide, and empower those out of incarceration.
“CAWIN will achieve this through empowerment, reform and re-integrate them into the society above all odds of discrimination and stigmatisation,” he added.
