Government Agencies, Departments Open Pad Banks In Offices To Encourage  Menstrual Hygiene

Ahead of this year’s celebration of the World Menstrual Health and Hygiene Day, departments and agencies of the Nigerian government have opened pad banks for the use of female staff.

The initiative, according to the minister of women affairs, Pauline Tallen, is to care for menstrual emergencies at workplaces.

Tallen, who disclosed this during a press briefing on Wednesday in Abuja, said the gesture was aimed at creating more awareness about menstrual hygiene.

This is In line with the annual celebration marked every May 28, with this year's theme 'Making  Menstruation a Normal fact of life by 2030.'

She said: “As the coordinating ministry and the National Secretariat for Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management, we have also made remarkable progress around menstrual health and hygiene management in Nigeria.

“It is worthy to mention that some ministries through advocacy, are unveiling their Pad Banks, to cater for cases of emergency within their work environment.”

According to her, the MDAs with pad banks include ministries of foreign affairs, water resources, agriculture and rural development, interior, youth and sports development. 

The minister, encouraged others, especially those in the private sector, to emulate the gesture for the convenience of women and young girls.

“I, therefore, wish to use this opportunity to call on other MDAs and other stakeholders, including airlines, schools and security agencies to join in the campaign to make menstruation a normal pact of life, by setting up Pad Banks in their spaces.

“Together, if we strengthen our collaboration, existing structures to end violence against children, to secure a brighter future for our country will be sustained,” she said.

Highlights of the day included the distribution of sanitary pads to some students.