According to WHO, 1 in 3 girls in sub-Saharan Africa miss school due to lack of menstrual hygiene products. Over 75% of women and girls in Nigeria, especially in rural areas, cannot afford menstrual products. A huge number of girls in Plateau state do not have access to any form of sanitary protection. This limits their access to education, economic and social activities. This does not only affect an individual’s life and career prospects but also their entire community. There is also a lack of education, guidance and counselling on puberty and sexual reproductive health except for myths, taboos, stigma and shame which leads to low self-esteem. The HYMEN project addresses the perpetual challenge of the menstrual hygiene management. This is achieved by a social enterprise model where the local community (women & girls) are empowered through skills training and taught to produce low cost biodegradable menstrual pads that are distributed to women/girls. The project comprises of various parameters focused on achieving Sustainable Development Goals 1,2,3,4,5 and 8; reduced poverty, zero hunger, promoting good health and wellbeing, quality education, gender equality, sanitation, decent work and economic growth. This project directly impacts over 5,000 girls across the three senatorial districts of Plateau state. It potentially increases school attendance for the girls as well as empower over 500 women on social and economic aspects. It utilizes all avenues such as schools, community groups, & faith-based organizations as points for training creating enough awareness regarding the importance of hygienic menstrual products, therefore, improving the health, economy and environment for women/girls, especially in the rural areas.

Hygiene & Menstrual Management (HYMEN) –Awareness and Training 

“I am Grace, 15-year-old and live in Gyel district, Jos South LGA in Plateau State. I am from a poor home and it has really been difficult managing my periods every month because I do not have access nor could afford menstrual pads and other hygienic period products within my community. My mama is a small business owner who makes a little cash that is unable to cater for our family needs. The financial burden on her makes catering for my menstrual needs as well very difficult. I had to either stay away from school and other public places to bleed on myself at home during my period or use tissue or old rags, which gets easily soaked and stains my dresses and school uniform or even fall off when I walk. This makes me very uncomfortable as I usually experience itching, foul smell all which make me lose concentration during school and other social activities”. 

Every month during their periods adolescent girls and young women suffer humiliation and pain, they are reminded of their poverty and how that very natural process causes them social stigma, shame and frustration. Young women are forced to stay away from school and involving themselves in any social activity.  Menstruation, that is celebrated in other situations as the affirmation of womanhood is cause for shame.  Parents shy away from discussing menstruation and policies to support the access to menstrual hygiene products lack.   

The Hygiene & Menstrual Management (HYMEN) project was implemented by Prime Diamond Initiative for Community Health (PDICH), and aimed at addressing the perpetual challenge of the menstrual hygiene management. PDICH are ambassadors of promoting positive health and wellbeing and are also defenders of the rights of women and girls. Their engagement in numerous community interventions in the state, sensitising and raising the awareness of the dwellers on the importance of healthy and hygienic menstrual practices has bagged them the name “Alhada NGO” which meant the “Menstruation NGO”.   

The project sought to address the menstrual hygiene management issues through a social enterprise model where the local community (women & girls) are empowered through skills training and taught to produce low cost biodegradable menstrual pads that are distributed to women/girls. The project comprised of various parameters focused on achieving Sustainable Development Goals 1,2,3,4,5 and 8; reduced poverty, zero hunger, promoting good health and wellbeing, quality education, gender equality, sanitation, decent work and economic growth. 

Linda Dung from Jos South LGA, Just like thousands of other local women in Jos South experienced the same challenges as Grace. “I was however fortunate to join the Project Hymen program by PDICH where I learnt extensively about menstruation and reproductive health. I was also empowered with training on the production of affordable disposable pads that I now use in place of tissue and other unhygienic materials. It is now very accessible and affordable. Women should not be made to worry about managing the beautiful process that ensures the continuity of human race”   

The project engaged its rightsholders and stakeholders through the following channels 

• Physical engagements with key stakeholders and community mobilizers. 
• Physical/online meetings with staff and volunteers to review past program, findings and develop strategic and workable approaches to future events. 

• Online Webinar engagement with policy makers, CSOs and other stakeholders discussing on implementing policies on menstrual health and hygiene in Nigeria. 
• Social media engagement through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and the website) 
• Physical trainings and sensitizations in schools and the communities. 
• Radio and Television appearances, Newspaper and magazine publications. 

With continuous advocacy on menstrual health and hygiene, PDICH looks forward to a future where women’s reproductive health issues (especially menstrual need) would be prioritised by policy makers and be considered into the essential commodity list and be adequately budgeted for and at the same time policies implemented seeking to improve menstrual health and hygiene in Nigeria. It also hopes to see a society were WASH and disposal facilities can easily be  accessed in public and private places, a future were menstrual education would be included in the school curriculum for all students and the inclusion of menstrual product as part of the school uniform list to enable menstruators have access to them while in school. This would improve attendance and participation of girls in school. It also hopes for a future with more producers of locally made menstrual pads and other hygienic products, a society where people are not ashamed to discuss periods openly and where menstruation is no longer a taboo or a stigmatised subject and where period products are offered free of charge. 

The project’s approach of tackling the issues through a social enterprise model moves beyond just sensitising the community and young girls on menstruation hygiene but also offers the community tools to ensure that there is a sustainable approach to dealing with the problem thus ensuring its success.