School girls need education about monthlies

Professor Ladi Adamu of the Department of Mass communication, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, has said that schools must provide girls with practical information for effective management of menstruation and sanitary needs. Speaking at a two-day zonal dissemination meeting on the National Research Findings and Development of the Intervention Action Plan on Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) […]

Professor Ladi Adamu of the Department of Mass communication, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, has said that schools must provide girls with practical information for effective management of menstruation and sanitary needs.

Speaking at a two-day zonal dissemination meeting on the National Research Findings and Development of the Intervention Action Plan on Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) in Katsina, Prof. Ladi said girls needed to know that menstruation was a natural phenomenon that they shouldn’t be afraid or ashamed of.

She said menstruating school girls were facing serious challenges in their educational pursuit due to so many factors such as non-availability of water, norms and cultures and religious beliefs amongst others.

“Teachers also must learn to encourage and support girls as they face serious stigmatisation from not only schools but the community as well,” she said.

The findings, she said, showed that there were inconsistencies in the subjects that addressed menstruation as well as information shared in schools. 

She said teachers, especially those in co-educational schools, were uncomfortable to teach menstruation and menstrual hygiene.