A girl’s choice of menstrual protection material can be based on personal choice, cultural acceptability, economic status, and availability in the local market.
Menstruation ushers in a new phase and new vulnerabilities in the lives of adolescents, yet many adolescent girls, particularly those in rural communities, are unaware of menstrual health or hygiene management.
During a peer learning session with the girls in Isotoyo, we discovered that many of them find it embarrassing to talk about their menstruation. For some, it is a shameful experience, let alone discussing it with their parents for advice. Furthermore, many adolescent girls still practice the “silence culture.” In most cases, the myths and taboos associated with menstruation make it difficult for them to speak about it or recognize menstruation as a normal biological process.
Our Interns, Faith Robert and Edikan Aniedi educated the girls on menstrual health and hygiene management. They began by debunking the myths, discriminatory social norms, and taboos associated with menstruation before educating them on what it is. As an organization, we are committed to hygiene promotion as an essential activity not only to ensure the population has the knowledge but to help girls gain more knowledge, confidence, and skills through Education. Menstrual Education needs to be incorporated into our school curriculums. Girls need to be taught early that menstruation is a normal biological process. Also, to reduce stigmatization, boys need to be taught this too.
