Over 37 million girls lack access to menstrual hygiene – Minister
Over 37 million Nigerian adolescent girls and women of reproductive age, lack access to menstrual hygiene products due to financial constraints.
Dame Pauline Tallen, The Minister of Women Affairs, mentioned at a press briefing by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and the Federal Capital Territory Administration held in Abuja.
“This high cost of menstrual products which will in the long run be borne by women and girls will definitely affect school girls across Nigeria.
“It is a situation where women and young girls lack access to sanitary products due to financial constraints.
“We will also use this opportunity to highlight to the appropriate authorities, the danger the proposed National Diaper and Sanitary Pads Policy, which increases the import tariff on Diapers and Sanitary pads from 20 percent to 55 percent poses on Menstrual Hygiene Management.
“This Policy will no doubt affect the availability, affordability and acceptability of sanitary pads in the country,” Tallen said.
According to her, this will further negate the successes so far recorded by this Ministry and in order to ensure girls and women do not feel limited by their periods, sensitisation programs and an increased education on menstrual hygiene should be a continuous agenda for all individuals and groups.
As the world marked the 2021 World Menstrual Hygiene Day, a beauty queen in Kogi State, Omidan Oge Okun 2020, Temitope Folashade commenced the distribution of sanitary pads to secondary schools girls in her crowned council areas, starting from her LGA, Mopamuro.
She said the project is meant for the poor and vulnerable young girls, especially who could not afford to adequately take care of themselves during their monthly cycles.
The high cost of commodities in Nigeria has made pads inaccessible for poor girls, with some of the girls missing out of school during their menstrual cycle days.
Every young girl in the society has the right to achieve their best possible standard of health and education. Menstruation should not be a barrier to school for a girl child.
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