Follow Us on Google
From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha.
Wife of the Anambra State Governor, Mrs Nonye Soludo, has established 350 pad banks in Anambra public schools and, also, distributed 25,000 sanitary pads to school girls in the state through her non governmental organisation.
Speaking in Awka, yesterday, during activities to mark this year’s World Menstrual Hygiene Day, the Anambra First Lady described menstruation as a natural part of life and not a curse.
“It is not a taboo. It is not something any girl should be ashamed of. Yet, across many communities, countless girls still suffer in silence because of stigma, poor hygiene education, lack of sanitary materials, and harmful cultural and social misconceptions. Some are isolated, mocked, restricted from certain activities, or made to feel unclean and inferior during their menstrual cycle. This should never be so.”
The governor’s wife said she is lending her voice strongly to the call for an end to every form of discrimination, stigma, and harmful practices against menstruating women and girls.
“We must replace shame with understanding, silence with education, and exclusion with compassion and support. Every girl deserves to experience her womanhood with dignity, confidence, and pride, not fear or humiliation. This is why conversations like this are important”.
She noted that a healthy society begins with healthy families while healthy families are built by informed, confident, and empowered women and girls.
“Through our Healthy Living Initiative, we have continued to promote cleanliness, proper hygiene, nutrition, physical wellness, and preventive healthcare across homes, communities and schools in Anambra State. We believe that good health is not a luxury; it is a right. It is a lifestyle!
Other News
“Among the six cardinal pillars of Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo, hygiene, both personal, and environmental, remains one of the most critical. This is because we understand that healthy habits formed early in life help to build healthier homes, healthier communities, and a healthier society”.
She disclosed that through several interventions in schools across Anambra State, especially through the Healthy Living School Clubs, they have continued to educate and empower children on the necessity and benefits of proper hygiene.
“We are intentionally raising a generation of children who understand cleanliness, self-care, environmental responsibility, and healthy living practices.
“I am also, particularly, proud that through our movement, we have gone beyond advocacy to practical intervention. Today, our NGO has successfully established sanitary pad banks in over 350 schools across Anambra State, with periodic refilling based on needs and usage.
“This is the kind of society we must continue to build; one where no girl is forced to choose between her education and her biological reality. As a government and as compassionate citizens, we must continue to create safe spaces where girls can learn, ask questions freely, and receive proper support without fear or embarrassment.
“To our young girls in Anambra State, I say this clearly today: You are strong. You are valuable. You are beautifully created. Your dreams are valid, and nothing, not even your monthly cycle, should stop you from becoming the best version of yourselves.
“Let us continue to build an Anambra where every girl child grows with confidence, dignity, knowledge, and access to proper healthcare and hygiene” she stated.
