On this year’s Menstrual Hygiene Day, centered around the theme “Making menstruation a normal fact of life by 2030,” recent statistics from the United Nations bring attention to a concerning issue.

Despite the recognition of menstrual health as a basic human right, an estimated 500 million individuals continue to face obstacles in accessing menstrual products and adequate facilities to support their menstrual well-being.

The United Nations underscores the fact that limited resources, coupled with patterns of exclusion and shame, severely undermine human dignity.

Furthermore, gender inequality, extreme poverty, humanitarian crises, and harmful traditions further compound the challenges, amplifying the deprivation and stigma surrounding menstrual health.

In a recent interview with Prosper Okoye, the News Editor of DAILY ASSET, Fejiro Anibor, a member of the Child and Youth Protection Foundation (CYPF), discussed the importance of stakeholder collaboration to sustain and replicate CYPF’s menstrual toolkit initiative, in order to achieve the menstrual target by 2030 and address traditional myths that restrict the freedom of Nigerian children in expressing their menstruation experiences.

DAILY ASSET: What does Menstrual Hygiene Day mean to you?

Fejiro Anibor: It is a day designated for discussing and celebrating the girl child while bringing attention to the unfortunate reality that, in this 21st century, there are still individuals who lack knowledge about menstruation. There are those who hold negative taboos surrounding menstruation, such as the belief that a woman is unclean during her period. This day serves as a reminder to recognize and support the women around us, as well as acknowledge the existence of individuals experiencing menstrual poverty, unable to afford sanitary pads during their menstrual cycles.

DAILY ASSET: What forms of menstrual poverty do you observe around you?

Fejiro: I notice that many girls and women living in urban areas like Abuja struggle to afford sanitary pads during their menstrual cycles. As a result, they resort to using rags, which is unhygienic. In some cases, women even sit on the sand during their period, causing the sand to absorb the blood. This situation hampers their productivity throughout the duration of their period. Additionally, there are some individuals who are unfamiliar with what a pad is.

DAILY ASSET: How long have you been on this mission, and has there been any improvement?

Fejiro: Hmmm, let’s say almost half a decade. Being someone who has experienced menstrual poverty in the past, I put all I can into enlightening other girls around me because it doesn’t only end with the inability to purchase a pad. I use myself as an example while talking to others. For instance, I am not ashamed to ask a guy to buy me a pad when I am on my period, and over time they become comfortable with it too. I also give out pads and encourage others to gift a pad to a girl around them. Overall, there has been remarkable progress, and the improvement of technology has greatly aided it.

DAILY ASSET: Would it be feasible to achieve the 2030 goal when the issue of menstrual hygiene is only discussed once a year?

Fejiro: No! We don’t talk about it only on Menstrual Hygiene Day. Instead, Menstrual Hygiene Day, which falls on May 28th every year, is set aside for everyone to collectively lend their voice to the issue of menstrual hygiene. And mind you, talking about one thing all the time makes it a cliché and it loses its relevance. Take a look at the CYPF’s menstrual kit bank initiative; it is meant to last throughout the year.

DAILY ASSET: But the menstrual kit bank is only in some schools!

Fejiro: Yes, the pad bank is a sustainable initiative, and it would be nice if other individuals and organizations could replicate it. Having a pad bank in every school, church, and public space is not a bad idea. If condoms can be given out for free in public places and kept in public toilets, why can’t pads be given out as well?

DAILY ASSET: Okay, what could be the impediment for children not being able to open up when they are on their period?

Fejiro: It is mostly due to parental factors and how the child perceives society’s opinion of menstruation. They may not want to feel embarrassed or judged. I’ll share with you my first menstruation experience. I was around 10 years old when it started, and I didn’t know anything about it because even my older sister hadn’t started menstruating at that time. I simply woke up one morning and noticed that my underwear was stained with blood. I was scared to tell anyone because I thought my menstruation would be mistaken for me being involved in sexual activities. I would wear my underwear, and before I knew it, I would be soaked in blood. So I started wearing double underwear, yet I still ended up soaked and uncomfortable. This continued until one day when my mom accidentally came across one of my soiled underwear. She called me and asked, in a threatening manner, who the underwear belonged to. I almost denied it, but I couldn’t because I knew she already knew it was mine. So I admitted it. Then she walked away. I overheard her telling my father that I had started menstruating, and after that, she showed no concern. I wasn’t taught how to manage it or given a pad. I’d like to think that she forgot. I had to learn on my own how to use a pad after being gifted one by some people who came to our school a few months later.