By Lizzy Carr
The executive director African Hub for Community Progress Initiative in Nigeria (AFriHUB) Dr Sabatu Elizabeth Danladi has called on Bauchi State government to establish a pad incubation centre that will supply sanitary pads to girls in schools.
Speaking at a one day conference with civil society organizations and government stakeholders for advocacy to strengthen sexuality education in schools organized by AFriHUB and Plan International in partnership with Global Affairs Canada.
She said the conference with theme sexual and reproductive health education for all, building a movement for improved teaching training, supportive supervision and infrastructure is to see that girls stay in school during their menstrual period.
” Most girls do miss classes for the period of their menstruation because they don’t have sanitary pads and are ashamed to face their peers when they have menstrual stain on their uniform especially from the boys”.
Dr Sa’abatu Danladi noted that the establishment of the pad incubation centre will be use to produce sanitary pads that will be supplied to schools to ensure the retention of adolescent girls in schools.
” Afrihub is also advocating for the establishment of pad banks in schools give the girl an opportunity to have a pad when she sees her menses during school period”.
The executive director added that government needs to create a budget line for infrastructures in schools especially towards the construction of disposable facilities where the girl can dispose her used pad rather than running home to do that.
” Most schools have toilet facilities but the are not meant for pad disposal that is why we need a disposal facility in schools where the girls can use to improve menstrual hygiene”.
Dr Sa’abatu Danladi called for the scale up of health clubs in all schools in the state and the strengthening of existing.
She went further to states that teachers need to be trained and retrained to meet up with modern realities.
” Our adolescents are faster in acquiring information than the teachers with the use of their android phones, so teachers need this retraining to promote accurate sexual and reproductive health education “.
Dr Sa’abatu Danladi commended Bauchi State government for giving the education sector the needed attention in terms of infrastructural development.
The stakeholders emphasized the need for community and religious leaders to create awareness on menstrual hygiene and for school principals to be involved in issues around sexual and reproductive health education.
They noted that parents should talk to their children both male and female about sexual and reproductive health education.