by Grace Anaja
Menstrual Hygiene Day is celebrated every year on May 28th to raise awareness about menstrual hygiene and change the harmful societal norms and stereotypes around menstruation. The theme for the past 3 years remains ‘Making menstruation a normal fact of life by 2030’, with the main objective of creating a society where no one is held back because they menstruate.
To commemorate Menstrual Hygiene Day, Stand With A Girl (SWAG) Initiative in partnership with Strong Enough Girls and support from United Nations (UNFPA) organised a sensitization visit to Baifor Model Academy Wumba, Abuja on Friday 26th May, 2023. The objectives of the visit were to; improve adolescent girls’ knowledge on sexual and reproductive health and right especially menstrual hygiene management, increase access to menstrual supplies through distribution of sanitary towels to girls, and sensitize adolescent boys on menstruation and dispel myths and misconceptions around the topic.
The event which took place at the school’s hall began with the principal introducing the team. Ken, SWAG’s team member moderated the sessions and introduced the organizations. One team member from both organizations spoke about the work they do. Victory, from SWAG’s team spoke about the reason for the visit, the essence of menstrual hygiene day and the theme. Ken joined the students to set rules such as ‘no noise’, ‘no side talks’, ‘no distractions’, ‘no laughing indiscriminately’, etc.
Victory Akoh gave a talk on menstruation and menstrual hygiene. Menstruation is a normal process that every female of reproductive age experiences. A female student defined hygiene as ‘maintaining cleanliness and avoiding sicknesses‘. Thereafter, Victory gave some menstrual hygiene tips to observe such as:
- Washing your hands before using any menstrual product so as not to infect the pad and washing them after fixing the product.
- Using cotton panties as they are breathable and lessen the case of an infection.
- Changing pads regularly depending on the kind of flow. Those with a heavy flow should change more frequently than those with a light flow.
- Ensuring not to use one pad for an entire day.
- Drinking a lot of water in order to wash away impurities in the body.
- Washing the vagina properly, from the front to the back, not the other way around.
- Seeking medical attention if your period is consistently irregular.
Maintaining menstrual hygiene ensures people are safe from infections, bad odour, and overall ensures good health and wellbeing.
Irene Igomu, SEGEI’s Program Officer, gave a demonstration on how to fix a sanitary towel on panties during one’s period. She reiterated the importance of clean hands before and after. She also spoke about how to dispose of a used pad properly.
The next session was taken by Grace Anaja, SEGEI’s Communications Officer. She spoke about the myths and misconceptions around menstruation. Myths are traditional and cultural beliefs around a topic while misconceptions are usually due to misinformation or the lack of it. Some of the myths and misconceptions mentioned were: do not engage in activities while menstruating e.g exercise, swimming; do not cook during your period or touch certain food items like onions; do not eat certain foods; if girl misses her period, she’s pregnant; period blood is impure and dirty and PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) is unreal. Having a period is a completely normal process. It should not prohibit anyone from doing the activities they love and enjoy.
Maureen took a session on self-esteem. She asked the question ‘Do you know who you are’. She got the students to perform an exercise in order to demonstrate what self-esteem meant. Two students named Diana and Japheth who are rappers gave freestyles before the participants with confidence. This was to explain that puberty makes teenagers become more self-aware. It is important that teenagers know who they are, have core values they live by, and the right mentors they look up to in a particular field or sphere. She further asked them these questions: ‘What makes me ‘me’? What do I like most about myself?’ She left them with these words “Every day, seek what you love about yourself most and appreciate it. Tell yourself ‘I am perfect the way I am’.”
During the question and answer session, the students asked questions about menstrual cycles, disposing pads, irregular periods, the signs when menstruation begins, calculating periods, managing periods, taking pain killers for cramps, etc. and Irene answered all their questions.
In most schools, menstruation is not discussed openly and parents sometimes feel uncomfortable having such conversations with their children. Having access to reliable and accurate information on menstrual health benefits adolescent girls physically, psychologically, and socially. It keeps them from developing a negative body image, being depressed, or participating in sexual activity.
Boys are not left out. The male students participated during the sessions and wrote down their questions on the notes as well. Adolescent boys and men should be involved in not just being educated but in promoting menstrual health in order to end period stigma.
Featured image: SWAG Initiative
