Bauchi Assembly Amends Law To Provide Free Sanitary Pads In Schools

Bauchi State House of Assembly has passed a bill to provide free sanitary pads in primary, secondary, and community schools across the State to help address problems associated with menstrual hygiene challenges among school girls.

The House passed the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Board Law of 2012 during a special sitting presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Abubakar Y. Suleiman, yesterday.

Hon. Lawal Dauda, the member representing Sade and Chairman of the House Committee on Health, sought permission to present a report on the proposed amendment of a Bill for a Law to Provide for an Amendment to the Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Board Law, 2012.

Deputy Speaker Rt seconded the motion—Hon—Jamilu Ummaru Dahiru, representing Bauchi Central Constituency.

Speaking to journalists on the amendment, Hon. Lawal Dauda emphasised that the newly established unit will also promote gender equity, improve school attendance, and enhance the health and dignity of girls in the state.

According to him, the amended law provides a framework for setting up and managing pad banks, aligning with global best practices and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

He added that the bill supports the state government’s efforts to empower girls and help them stay in school to achieve their educational goals.

During the session, lawmakers agreed that key ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), including Health, Education, and Women Affairs, should establish Menstrual Hygiene Units. These units will coordinate menstrual hygiene activities, provide education on reusable sanitary pads, and ensure accessibility in both private and public schools.

Additionally, the House made it mandatory for female students in boarding schools, both public and private, to provide at least three packets of sanitary pads, and penalties will be established for non-compliance by schools or individuals.

The lawmakers also mandated the creation of Menstrual Hygiene Clubs in schools.

Furthermore, the House called for continuous training and retraining of relevant stakeholders to raise awareness about menstrual hygiene and its health benefits. It also advocated establishing a dedicated budget line for menstrual hygiene activities within the annual budgets of relevant MDAs.

Speaking on the sidelines of the amended bill, the speaker of the state assembly, Abubakar Suleiman, assured the assembly of its readiness to champion the plight of girls and women in the state.

He congratulated the development partners, especially Women for Women International, ASHH Foundation, and Child is Gold Foundation, for their commitment and contributions to passing the bill into law.

In her remarks at the speaker’s office after the bill was passed, the Executive Director of ASHH Foundation, Mrs Comfort Attah, said Bauchi State is the first state to introduce such a bill in the country and commended members of the Bauchi State House of Assembly for their legislative intervention.