Anambra Governor’s Wife Calls For Stronger Menstrual Hygiene Campaign
The Anambra State Governor’s wife, Nonye Soludo, has called for a stronger campaign to support women and girls who struggle with menstrual hygiene.
She made the call in a statement on Wednesday to mark this year’s World Menstrual Hygiene Day.
Soludo said the number of women, especially girls, who need help with menstrual hygiene is rising. She believes it is time for stakeholders to rethink how they approach the issue.
She pointed to data showing that about 37 million women and girls in Nigeria cannot afford sanitary pads, adding that many rely on unsafe materials during their periods.
Reports from WHO and UNICEF also showed that poor water, sanitation, and hygiene services make it hard for many to manage their periods safely and with dignity.
According to the organisations, only two in five schools globally provide menstrual health education. Just one in three have bins for menstrual waste.
She said these gaps call for urgent, practical solutions, not temporary campaigns.
She described menstruation as a basic health right and raised concern over girls who miss school due to a lack of menstrual products.
She mentioned that her Healthy Living Pad Bank Initiative, which began in 2024 and has now been established in over 300 schools in the state is her approach to helping school girls whose academic focus could be affected during menstruation and related emergencies.
She further explained that advocacies for menstrual hygiene should go beyond yearly campaigns that immediately die off, stating that the campaign must take up hands-on strategies that accommodate education, awareness and action.
Nonye also stated that every intending action should first understand the existing gaps, prioritize vulnerable domains and remain consistent with strategies and push.
She revealed that her pad bank programme has targeted a complete establishment system that would completely reduce the menstrual hygiene imbalance in the state to zero.
Anambra Governor’s Wife Calls For Stronger Menstrual Hygiene Campaign is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
