Follow Us on Google
From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Benue State chapter, in collaboration with several partners, have distributed menstrual pads to over 1000 students across school in the state to mark the 2026 World Menstrual Hygiene Day.
The organizations, during the activity, provided sensitization to school girls and boys, promoting menstrual health, dignity and education.
Welcoming participants, the Chairperson of the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Dr. Doofan Ayatse-Agishi, said the awareness campaign was designed to promote better understanding of menstrual health among young people, adding that the initiative focused on menstrual health education and counselling to equip participants with accurate information and encourage healthy practices.
Dr. Ayatse-Agishi added that the programme also featured the distribution of menstrual hygiene kits, myth-busting sessions, and open discussions aimed at addressing misconceptions surrounding menstruation.
According to her, the campaign sought to promote dignity, improve health outcomes, and empower both girls and boys with the knowledge needed to support positive menstrual health and hygiene practices.
Speaking on menstrual hygiene, Dr Angelina Shie-Dominick encouraged girls to keep clean at all time by taking their bath at least, twice a day. She also urged them to change their pads and not to wear one for 24 hours.
The Chairperson of Nigeria Association of women journalists (NAWOJ), Elizabeth Achagh, who took the students on how to wear a pad the right way, appealed to school managements to provide the necessary facilities to ensure girls menstruate with dignity in the school environment.
Other News
Achagh said: “School managements should provide clean toilet facilities and running water in the school environment. This would help young girls maintain a good level of hygiene during their menstrual periods.”
Other speakers, Blessing Ityohuun with the female lawyers, Ihechi Olarewaju of FIDA among others sensitized the students that menstruation is not a thing of shame, adding urged the boy to support the females during such periods.
Olarewaju demystified some cultural beliefs that “a girl who is on her period is dirty or unclean, that period blood is bad blood or poisonous blood living the body a girl, that a girl should not cook when she is on her menstrual period, that a girl cannot play or do sports when she is on her,” urging girls not to be limited in any way.
She said a girl in her period can do anything she is capable of doing encouraging them not to miss schools because of menstruation but to seek help if the need arises.
Some of the students, Tyolumun Doose of UBE Junior Secondary School, JSS Holy Ghost and Safiya Ibrahim and Rabi’atu Bashir of Arabic College, Makurdi, all appreciated the organizers for their gifts and knowledge, describing it as a great help while excited 13-year-old Abubakar Nasir pledged to lead campaign for girls. He said: “I have only one sister, when she grows up I will tell her about menstruation.”
The principals of UBE JSS Holy Ghost and Arabic College Makurdi, Priscilla Iorchir and Yahaya Abu, respectively appreciated the organizations for their support pledging to do their best to ensure that girls menstruate in a dignified school environment.
The Chairperson, Women Wing of Jama’atu Nasir Islam (JNI), in Benue State, Hajia Hauwa Isah, described the program as timely and significant just as she appreciated them for choosing and empowering children from her Wadata community.
The celebration was organized by the MWAN in collaboration with other partners, including Concerned women International development initiative (CWIDI), TearFund, Nigeria Association of women journalists (NAWOJ), Nigerian Bar Association Women Forum (NBAWF), Eunice Spring of Life Foundation (ESLF) and Nigerian Medical Students Association (NMSA), among others.
