Aishat Adeogun
The incumbent student president at Communication and Democracy, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, in the United Kingdom, Patricia Nkem-Innocent, has said that girls in Nigeria now use rags as pads during their menstruation period.
Nkem-Innocent, who is also a public health worker, said this while launching a campaign, to enlighten young girls on personal hygiene and sexual health initiatives, to commemorate the International Women’s Day.
The programme tagged “Menstrual hygiene and sexual health initiative” was initiated to provide menstrual pads to 227 young girls across three cities of Warri, Abuja and Port-Harcourt.
According to her, the pads provided to them will sustain them for 4 months.
In her words, the campaign becomes necessary following the prevailing economic hardship in the country.
She decried the high cost of female sanitary products occasioned by the rising inflation rate in Nigeria, noting that young girls as well as older women these days have resorted to the use of rags and other unsanitary materials as pads during menstruation. A situation she fears might bring about a wave of illnesses and diseases in future.
Her words: “With the International Women’s Day 2024 theme being ‘Inspire Inclusion’ and the United Nations theme being ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress,’ what better way to celebrate than to give back to our young girls
“Today, two hundred and twenty-seven (227) girls in different parts of Nigeria including Warri, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, received free pads that would sustain them for a minimum of three to four months. ‘This is Nature Center Period’ campaign.
“This is my way of investing in our young girls. This is making a real difference in their lives and relieving a significant burden on their families.”
She urges everyone to be a part of this campaign, even as she promised to do more in future.
“The dream is to have a country where girls don’t buy pads, just like in Scotland and other countries in the world.”