Nigeria Steps Up Menstrual Health Education With Locally Produced Audiovisuals

As part of efforts to advance menstrual health and hygiene education, Population Services International (PSI) Nigeria, through its Menstrual Health and Hygiene; No Wahala (MH-NoW) project, has launched two new culturally relevant audiovisual materials designed to improve awareness, challenge stigma, and promote positive menstrual health practices across communities.

The audiovisuals, “My Red Flower’ and ‘Menstruation with Dignity” were produced in Pidgin English and Hausa to ensure accessibility to diverse audiences across the country.
Both materials are subtitled in English to promote inclusivity for national and international viewers, broadening understanding and engagement beyond language barriers.

According to PSI Nigeria, the films use real stories and authentic voices of adolescent girls and women, offering relatable content that encourages open dialogue about menstruation, a subject often shrouded in stigma and misinformation.

Through engaging storytelling, the audiovisuals aim to normalise menstrual conversations, foster dignity, and drive community action for menstrual equity.

“The video helped me overcome the fear and shame around menstruation,” said one schoolgirl after watching My Red Flower during the launch event in Government Secondary School, Akwanga, Nasarawa State.

The launch events were held simultaneously in Nasarawa State (North) and Akwa Ibom State (South), bringing together adolescent girls, young women, teachers, and Menstrual Health Champions. Participants not only viewed the materials but also explored ways to integrate them into classroom lessons and community dialogues.

The sessions provided valuable feedback on the cultural relevance and user-friendliness of the audiovisuals.

In Akwa Ibom, the Principal of Goretti Girls College, Dr. (Mrs.) Eno Ekpo, described the experience as groundbreaking.

“This is the first time, at my age and as a Principal, I’m seeing menstruation discussed so openly. It should no longer be treated as a taboo. Unlike in my early days, when menstruation was a silent topic, our girls are now equipped with the right knowledge and confidence to speak about it,” she said.

A male teacher who attended the session also applauded the initiative, describing it as “timely and beneficial.”

“As a man, I have a wife and a daughter, and I’m thinking of how to get this video for my seven-year-old. I love this,” he said, highlighting the material’s potential to involve men and boys in menstrual health discussions.

Idorenyin, a Menstrual Health Champion from Akwa Ibom, expressed her excitement about the new tools, saying they have strengthened her capacity to educate others.

“These videos will help the girls in my community understand their bodies and practice good menstrual hygiene, even when parents or teachers are not around,” she noted.

According to PSI Nigeria, the audiovisuals are strategic educational resources for continuous menstrual health learning, community engagement, and stigma reduction. The organisation hopes that My Red Flower and Menstruation with Dignity will help adolescent girls and young women learn more, speak up, and manage menstruation with confidence and dignity.

By making menstrual health conversations culturally relevant and accessible, the MH-NoW project continues to advance Nigeria’s efforts toward achieving menstrual equity and improved reproductive health outcomes for women and girls.