Background
Roughly 800 million women and girls around the world have their period every day. However, in many places, taboos associated with menstruation, combined with an overall culture of silence around the topic, limit the ability of women and girls to fully and equally participate in societal activities, thus undermining their overall social status and self-esteem and putting their health at risk. Globally, lack of accessible and affordable sanitary-ware has been known to have far reaching implications on the social, psychological and physical health of teenage girls and young women. In fact, lack of sanitary pads has been proven to be a major determinant in achieving gender parity globally. In Nigeria, provision of sanitary wares and information on reproductive health is concentrated only in major city and less on the other affluent and emerging towns like rural communities and urban slums. Thus there is need for Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) intervention in these set-ups and also in informal urban set-ups.
In addressing and trying to tackle the myths, ignorance, misinformation, stigma and poverty surrounding menstruation with the Theme: Time for Action: Girls at the Center, We at Town Crier Initiative Africa and Rotaract Club of New Haven are organising an event in 5 locations which include sensitization campaign program aimed using sports, social and academic activities in engaging girls and boys, teachers and staff of a post primary school in Onitsha, Enugwu-Ngwo, Ungwuan Rimi, Gosa Lugbe Abuja and Zawan Jos South and youths in generating discussion around menstruation and period talk tagged Making A Case For Her. and menstrual hygiene workshop which includes teaching girls and boys how to make Reusable Pads, and distribution of pads to girls in rural communities and urban slums schools, IDP camp and prison.