Wife of the President and First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu has said that lack of sanitary pads erodes the confidence of female students during their monthly menstrual flow.
She added that making them readily available can boost the confidence and dignity of school girls, which was the reason behind the recent launch of the “flow with confidence” campaign, which seems to provide sanitary pads for school girls.
Wife of the president stated this during an event themed ‘Empowering School Girls Through Menstrual Health,’ which was organised to address menstrual challenges that hinder girls’ education.
Represented by the wife of the governor of Anambra State, Dr Nonye Soludo, Mrs Tinubu distributed 10,000 packs disposable sanitary pads containing 12 packets each to girls from various schools in the state.
She said the distribution was part of her effort to promote the dignity and confidence of girls during their menstrual cycles, saying that many girls stay out of school during their menstrual flow, while others use rags and tissue paper, which are capable of giving them infection.
She said: “This menstrual health intervention is designed to tackle the challenges girls face during their periods. Period often cause them to fall behind in school or drop out entirely.
“It is unacceptable that the girl-child, especially in rural communities, still experiences such barriers.
“At RHI (Renewed Hope Initiative), we believe girls should never have to choose between their dignity and their education. This intervention is a step towards ensuring that.
“The intervention involved procuring 370,000 customised sanitary pads at a total cost of N2,550,297,150. Each state is to receive 10,000 packs along with a one-year supply,” she said.
Wife of the governor, Dr Nonye Soludo praised Mrs Tinubu for her gesture, saying the pads will form a sort of relief to many students, adding that she had long launched pad bank in schools across the state, where she supplies them with pads.
The sanitary pads were distributed to girls from schools across the state, mostly secondary and nursing colleges at the banquet Hall of the new Anambra State Government House in Awka.
David-Chyddy Eleke
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