This year’s Menstrual Hygiene Day highlights the importance of proper menstrual hygiene for women and girls, as many female genders in Nigeria still face challenges in maintaining their menstruation health due to inadequate facilities, particularly in public settings like schools, workplaces and health clinics, FELICITAS OFFORJAMAH writes.

Nnenna’s yellow uniform was already soaked in blood; she couldn’t hide it any longer. Struggling to hold herself together in the assembly, she tried to sneak into the almost collapsing structure of a toilet available in her school. The hope of running water was dashed when she opened the tap – just a throaty sound and then a gush of air. The tears that welled and flowed from Nnenna’s eyes were enough to wash her school uniform and get her clean.

Nnenna was not alone, somewhere on the playground at a school in Iyana-Ipaja, Lagos; Sukurat had worn her white sportswear. Being the white house commandant and oblivious of the fact that her period would commence; while leading the march past, she had stood in front with all confidence and excitement giving orders to the students. “Ahan, see blood!”, a boy had shouted from behind with a mockery tone. When Sukurat discovered they were referring to her, she quickly looked for a girl to give her a sweater to tie below her waist.

“I was only able to get a sweater to cover the stain, but I wasn’t able to get someone to give me a sanitary pad. I thought of going to the school clinic to get a pad and I was shocked at the response I got. I was scolded for not knowing when my period would come and I wasn’t given any pad at the end of the day. I cried, I had to sit in a corner all day and went home later to meet my mum.”

Sharon had told The Guardian that she doesn’t go to work when she’s on her period. “I usually have a heavy flow during my period and water only comes by the grace of God in the office, so I can’t risk it. Besides, the toilet is kind of exposed, someone outside can easily see me, changing my pad.”

Laila’s story is a bit different. She just can’t afford sanitary pads; it is a luxury item for her household. “I use small bits of cloth and tie them to my pants. When it gets very full, I wash and reuse them. I’m 16 years and that’s how I have been doing it since when I was nine.”

These scenes and several others reflect why every year on May 28, Menstrual Hygiene Day is observed to raise awareness about the critical role that proper management of menstrual hygiene (MHM) plays in empowering women and girls to realise their full potential. Adolescent girls and women face various challenges in managing their menstruation healthily and decently.

According to UNICEF, Menstrual Hygiene Management “is described as the process where “women and adolescent girls use a clean menstrual hygiene management (MHM) material to absorb or collect blood that can be changed in privacy as often as necessary for the duration of the menstruation period, using soap and water for washing their bodies as required and having access to facilities to dispose of used menstrual management material.”

Inadequate facilities for managing menstruation hygiene affect at least 500 million women and girls worldwide (MHM). For women and girls, inadequate WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) facilities can be a severe barrier, especially in public settings like workplaces, schools, or health clinics.

Women and girls struggle to maintain their menstrual hygiene in a private, secure, and respectable way because there aren’t enough separate restrooms with doors that can be securely closed, or there aren’t enough resources to dispose of used sanitary pads or water to wash hands. An increasing amount of research demonstrates that girls’ incapacity to maintain proper menstrual hygiene in schools, workplaces and public spaces has detrimental effects on both the nation and the girls’ individual lives.

Only 37 per cent of Nigerian women between the ages of 15 and 59 have access to all the necessities for proper menstrual hygiene management, including pain relievers, clean materials to prevent leaks and stains, WASH facilities, and places to dispose of used products. These statistics are derived from a smartphone survey called Performance Monitoring and Accountability 2020.

From the findings made by The Guardian, a substantial number of schools lacked basic water and sanitation facilities. A report further showed that 60 percent of public schools did not have toilets, unlike private schools.

According to the International Journal of Science and Research Archive, both students and instructors should feel at ease at school, particularly when it comes to making accessible, private, and operational facilities for getting rid of human and other waste. Everyone needs access to clean water, hygienic conditions, and activities that promote hygiene in their surroundings.

“Children wherever they may find themselves require to be given adequate attention in terms of providing potable water, sanitation and hygiene facilities. Children leave their homes every morning for school and return to their places in the afternoon and in most cases in the evening thereby spending most of their daily time in schools. These schools are expected to have adequate potable water, sanitation and hygiene facilities to enable the children to relieve themselves easily.”

The National Institute of Health stated that: “The use of sanitary pads and washing the genital area are essential practices for good menstrual hygiene. Poor menstrual hygiene may lead to itching or rashes in the perineal region, bad odor, and sometimes, major complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease and toxic shock syndrome.”

The World Bank had also posited that “Poor menstrual hygiene could pose serious health risks, like reproductive and urinary tract infections which could result in future infertility and birth complications.” According to the global partnership, girls and women reduce their risk of infection when they have access to inexpensive, safe sanitary products; facilities to control their menstruation and Hepatitis B and Thrush could spread when females change their menstrual products and forget to wash their hands.

Sweetman and Medland did research in 2017, discovering that women and girls may face discomfort, psychological stress, embarrassment, and occasionally sadness if they lack the means to manage their period hygienically.

Child Rights Activist and Social Crusader, Kikelomo Oduyebo said “Quality attention should be given to the girl child as they need a lot of support in their growth stage. Millions of women worldwide lack access to inexpensive and sustainable menstruation products, which is a critical component in promoting menstrual health and cleanliness. To achieve optimal menstrual health hygiene and improve development outcomes for women and adolescent girls, a holistic strategy is most effective. This approach integrates education with infrastructure, goods, and initiatives to address the issue.”

Given the various obstacles that women and adolescent girls encounter, encouraging menstrual hygiene management (MHM) is crucial for preserving women’s and girls’ physical integrity, dignity, and possibilities in life as a whole.

The CEO and founder of Kenya-based ZanaAfrica, Megan Mukuria, had asked a little girl in Kenya how she would feel if given a year’s supply of sanitary pads. ZanaAfrica uses sanitary pads and reproductive health education as a combined intervention to empower girls and women. “I would feel like the whole world loved me,” she said in a bashful murmur while covering her face with her palm.