Stakeholders Launch Campaign On Menstrual Hygiene

Stakeholders in women’s health, education and adolescent development have called for stronger support systems to address menstrual hygiene challenges facing young girls in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and across Nigeria.

The call came during the launch of Adopt-A-Teen Campaign, with the theme, ‘One Conversation Can Start a Movement,’ which was organised by M-Search Media in conjunction with The Urban Hive in Abuja.

The initiative seeks to tackle period poverty by providing menstrual hygiene kits, awareness, mentorship, and support to vulnerable girls.

Speaking at the launch, the co-founder and executive director of M-Search Media and pioneer of the initiative, Zainab Salami, said the campaign was inspired by experiences from humanitarian interventions in conflict-affected communities, where many girls lacked access to basic menstrual hygiene products.

According to her, the organisation discovered that many adolescent girls could not fully focus on their education and future aspirations because they lacked access to essential dignity kits.

“This initiative came about when we were working in conflict-affected communities and realised that young girls did not have access to one of the most important things they needed, which is dignity kits.

“When a girl does not have access to such basic necessities, it becomes difficult for her to focus on education and other important aspects of her future,” she said.

Salami disclosed that the initiative has already reached about 1,500 girls and aims to support 5,000 by the end of the year, with a long-term target of reaching 10,000 beneficiaries by next year.

She noted that the campaign is currently working with internally displaced persons (IDP) communities in Borno State through partnerships with humanitarian organisations and plans to expand its reach across other parts of the country.

Calling on government and development partners to prioritise menstrual health, Salami argued that sanitary pads should be made freely accessible to girls.