Press Release: Kebbi Gov's Wife Advocates Menstrual Health Education In Nigeria

Wife of Kebbi State Governor, Dr. Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu, has advocated for inclusion of Menstrual Hygiene in Health Education Curriculum of the country.

Dr. Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu, who is also a Champion and an Advocate of the Girl Child, participated in an international Webinar, lending her voice to the topic; “Implementing Policies around Menstrual Health Education in Nigeria,” to mark the 2020 World MENSTRUAL HYGIENE DAY .

The day which was marked in Kebbi with a Webinar and Hygiene Program for girls in Alwasa and Bunza towns, on 28th May, 2020 were anchored and monitored by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Women Affairs, Hajiya Aisha Muhammed Maikurata and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Women Development, Hajiya Zara'u Wali highlighted importance of good Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM).

Dr. Bagudu also shared some effective approaches used to reach girls in Kebbi State, and experiences on advocacies made to break the stigma and demystify the culture of silence on menstrual hygiene that can benefit other women and girls in Nigeria.

One of her main efforts in tackling the issue in Kebbi State is the creation of health clubs in female secondary schools, through which the advocacy was being driven.

The discourse was initiated by Ms. Nasa Onukegbe, CEO of Prime Diamond Initiative for Community Health (PDICH), a UK based organization.

Other eminent personalities who spoke on the Webinar were, Mrs. Toyin Saraki, Founder/President, Wellbeing Foundation, Dr. Simon Karu, Member, House of Representative and Dr. Joe Abah, Country Director, DAI; while Runice Chidebe, Executive Director, Project Pink Blue, moderated.

The Kebbi State Government has also partnered with Procter & Gamble in the Always Keeping Girls in School, which created awareness on Menstrual Hygiene and distributed sanitary pads to school girls, encouraging them to continue their education.

She further spoke of the Kebbi State Government’s BESDA program supported by the World Bank, which aims among others, seeks to provide WASH facilities.

The Webinar ended with all parties in an agreement to strengthen advocacies, sensitization, push for policies to remove value added tax on sanitary products, regulations in public buildings on water services to dignify and protect girls and women in the society.

The participants also called for the removal of VAT on components required for local production of sanitary Pads and Government to create enabling environments for local production of hygiene materials.

In the same vein, delegates of the Kebbi state Ministry Women of Women Affairs, in partnership with a local NGO, Aid the Needy among Women and Children, visited two towns namely; Alwasa in Argungu LGA, as well as Bunza town, where school age girls were taught about personal hygiene.

The occasion was also used to educate the girls about the ongoing coronavirus disease pandemic and ways to prevent it.

The Northern Governors Wives Forum, had in a statement released earlier that day, announced a donation of 3000 units of Always sanitary pads from Procter and Gamble.

The two bodies will be partnering to improve menstrual hygiene in Northern Nigerian in the coming months, with the hope of reducing school dropout rates.

Signed:
YAHAYA SARKI
Special Adviser (SA) Media to Kebbi State Governor
31/5/2020