Marking first-ever menstrual hygiene day

Many women shy from discussing it in public and poverty and ignorance makes some of them resort to unhygienic practices in the process of managing it.Menstrual hygiene and management is very important for women and girls so that periods do not interrupt  their daily activities, health or well being. There is need for concerted efforts […]

Many women shy from discussing it in public and poverty and ignorance makes some of them resort to unhygienic practices in the process of managing it.
Menstrual hygiene and management is very important for women and girls so that periods do not interrupt  their daily activities, health or well being. There is need for concerted efforts by parents, teachers, and other stakeholders to enlighten them on it particularly teenage girls.
Inadequate toilets and sanitary facilities do not only contribute to poor menstrual hygiene in many places but also affects the academic, economic, and social activities of women and girls to mention a few.
WaterAid  joined a coalition of organisations including WASH United, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Save the Children, to declare the first-ever Menstrual Hygiene Day on Wednesday, 28 May 2014.
A statement issued by the Communications and Campaigns Manager WaterAid Nigeria, Oluseyi Abdulmalik on the commemoration of the  Menstrual Hygiene Day said on any given day, more than 800 million women between the ages of 15 and 49 are menstruating. Yet menstruation remains a taboo subject.
“In many countries, menstruation is surrounded by a lot of myths including banishment from the family home to an outdoor shed during each cycle. These myths range from harmless to extreme and even though, in many cases, they date back to ancient times they continue to persist even now.” The statement  read.
According to the statement UNESCO estimates one in 10 African girls miss school during their periods, leading to a higher dropout rate.
Clarisse Baghnyan, Coordinator of WaterAid’s Regional Learning Centre for Sanitation said: “We need to make a shift in our thinking and attitude and bring an end to the stigma that still surrounds menstruation. For the sake of our girls and women, it’s time to start talking about this issue. The myths and taboos around periods can and do take a heavy toll on the health of our girls and women, especially in developing countries such as Nigeria.
“We must ensure that our girls have decent and separate toilet facilities in schools otherwise their health is put at risk and they are likely to miss or drop out of school rather than face the humiliation of finding somewhere private to change. By talking about periods, we can help normalise this natural process and help girls and women live healthier and more dignified lives.”
WaterAid works in more than a dozen countries across Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia to teach women and their families how to care for themselves properly during their periods. School projects range from building private, gender-separate toilets and taps for washing to creating hygiene clubs where girls learn how to sew washable, reusable sanitary towels.
This year, WaterAid’s West Africa office, in conjunction with WaterAid country programmes in Nigeria and the region, will conduct a research to help develop strong programmes on Menstrual Hygiene Management and reinforce our work for more impact, especially in schools. The research will also identify key actors for collaboration, capacity building needs for civil society and local government partners, and areas for advocacy.
Speaking on the impact of poor sanitary facilities on women’s menstrual hygiene  in an interview with the Home Front, President of the Global Advocacy for Toilet and Sanitary Standards Initiative (GATSSI) Princess Miriam Onuoha had said is a core area because poor sanitation facilities affect women more .
“It is a lot easier for a man to back the public and do his thing than it is for a woman. For me, it is a gross disfavor to the women when we don’t have public facilities where women can quietly change their pads, ease themselves in markets, bus stops.
“ How about the girls who are matured and on their period for instance and there are no sanitation facilities in the school, they will rather stay at home for those two to five days. What if there are tests or exams during those days they are on their period? They have missed out and accumulatively it affects their academic performance and areas.
A student of a secondary school in Abuja  who doesn’t want her name in print said her teachers have helped in building her knowledge on menstrual hygiene and she  always makes efforts to wash her hands regularly, bath, dispose properly and observe other hygiene ethics when ‘on.’