U-REPORT Nigeria, UNICEF’s digital community for young people, has said there is a relatively low level of father support for girls going through their menstrual cycle, and 48% of young girls feel that their fathers don’t understand menstrual-related difficulties.
UNICEF’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) specialist, Mr Monday Johnson, made this disclosure at the 2024 World Menstrual Hygiene Day celebration with the theme “Together for a Period-Friendly World,” organised by the Oyo State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (OYORUWASSA) in collaboration with UNICEF in Ibadan.
Mr Johnson said the report on what young women think about the support that they get from their parents declared that 28% say that they don’t feel listened to by their fathers, 25% say their fathers dismiss issues around menstruation, and 36% say that they are using menstrual hygiene packs.
According to him, “it is a normal process that happens to every woman, and it comes and goes. And so we need the support of the government, the NGO, donor organisations, and parents, especially the fathers, and the voice of boys supporting girls during menstruation.
“A lot of taboos exist, and a lot of myths exist. Everybody must be involved in supporting girls during menstruation. We need to have a situation where, during the period, everybody is friendly and supportive, and they are able to have access to the products at an affordable price.”
Oyo State Health Commissioner, Dr. Oluwaseresimi Ajetunmobi, stated that more than 300 million women are menstruating worldwide, and an estimated 500 million lack access to menstrual products and adequate facilities for menstrual hygiene management.
According to her, stigmatisation, misinformation, and inadequate access to resources continue to undermine the ability of many to manage their menstruation healthily and respectfully.
For a period-friendly world, she urged that comprehensive menstrual education should be integrated into school curricular and community programmes to dispel myths and normalise conversations about menstruation, as well as ensuring access to menstrual hygiene products as a right.
Dr Ajetunmobi reiterated the Oyo State government’s commitment to health, including menstrual hygiene management, and urged everyone to be a champion for menstrual health and to build a future where everyone can manage their periods with dignity and pride.
“We need to create an open dialogue where people feel comfortable discussing their menstrual health without fear of ridicule or shame. It is only through collective action and unwavering dedication that we can create a period-friendly world, a world where menstruation is seen not as a burden but as a natural and healthy part of life,” she said.
President, Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN) Oyo State President, Dr Omowumi Femi-Akinlosotu, said it is important for girls to know how to take care of themselves during their menstrual cycle and advocated for boys to stand against body shaming.
Earlier, Chairman of OYORUWASSA, Alhaji Babalola Afolabi, stated that women in the menstrual period should be respected and declared that the agency will be making provision for access to cheaper menstrual pads, particularly for those in rural areas, to assist them during their menstrual period.
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