The 2023 World Menstrual Hygiene Day has been observed by the Nigerian Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, Edo State chapter who joined the rest of the world to celebrate by sensitizing and empowering the girl child in the state on the need to observe self-hygiene and to know how to maintain their menstrual flows.
This is to ensure the students cultivate regular and proper health hygiene cleaning of their body, and to make sure they know about sex education.
During the sensitisation visit to some secondary schools in Benin City, the chairperson of the Edo State NAWOJ, Comrade Adesuwa Ehimuan sensitized the students on sex education, menstrual hygiene, menstrual flows and mind concept on ovulation.
She said, “Poor menstrual hygiene caused by lack of education, persisting taboos and stigma, limited access to hygiene menstrual products and poor sanitation infrastructure undermines the educational opportunities, health and overall social status of women and girls around the world. As a result, millions of women and girls are prevented from reaching their potential”.
Comrade Adesuwa urged women and girls to “break silence, raises awareness and changes negative social norms around menstrual health and hygiene, and engage decision makers and stakeholders to increase their actions for menstrual hygiene and health at global, national and local levels.”
She is optimistic that Menstrual Hygiene Day which was first celebrated in 2014, will by 2030 see a world, “where no one is held back because of menstruation.”
The sensitisation activity for 2023 World Hygiene Day which was sponsored by the Benin Owena River Basin Development Authority, BORBDA, saw the Edo NAWOJ team visiting some secondary schools, which include New Era Girls College, Upper Mission Road, Anglican Girls Grammar School, among others where sanitary pads and other menstrual hygiene materials were distributed for free to over five hundred girls.
It would be recalled that, the Menstrual Hygiene Day is observed globally every May 28.
