The Oyo State Government, through the Oyo State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (OYORUWASSA), in partnership with Hershima Partners and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Lagos Field Office, urges community leaders across the state to eliminate the stigmatisation of adolescent girls during their menstrual cycle.
The appeal was made during the closing session of a four-week step-down training and capacity-building workshop on Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) enhancement for schools and communities in Egbeda and Ona-Ara Local Government Areas.
The event was held at the Local Government Staff Training Conference Hall, Secretariat, Ibadan.
The Chairman of OYORUWASSA, Alhaji Babalola Afobaje, underscored the significance of menstrual hygiene as a fundamental aspect of human development.
“Menstruation is a natural sign of life and progression. Our girls must know that it is nothing to be ashamed of. They deserve support, not stigma. They must also learn how to protect themselves and maintain good hygiene for healthy living,” he said.
He pointed out that while the agency’s core mandate encompasses eradicating open defecation, attention is also being devoted to enhancing menstrual hygiene among schoolgirls.
According to him, providing separate toilets for girls during their menstrual period will be pursued gradually, but awareness and education remain the most critical steps.
Alhaji Afobaje highlighted the need for a collaborative effort from parents, guardians, community leaders, and schools to support adolescent girls, recognizing that menstrual cycles can be accompanied by pain.
He said OYORUWASSA will strengthen sensitization efforts across communities to ensure girls are better understood and supported.
The CEO of Hershima & Partners Ltd., Mrs. Ada Oko-Williams, clarified that a human-centred design approach was utilised in the workshop to enable female students to pinpoint menstrual hygiene challenges and develop practical solutions.
“We worked with students, teachers, parents, and community leaders to co-create solutions.”
“The girls analyzed their experiences with menstrual hygiene and came up with innovative ideas, including reusable pads made from natural materials like banana fibre, communication tools for engaging boys, and mobile menstrual hygiene kits,” she said.
She added that children served as strong channels of communication, taking the knowledge home to their families and communities. Mrs. Oko-Williams also highlighted innovations such as hot-water bottles for menstrual cramps, relaxation spaces for menstruating students, and improved communication strategies that involve boys in MHM awareness.
In his welcome address, the General Manager of OYORUWASSA, Mr. Adeniyi Adeduntan, said the programme helped educate young girls and out-growing mothers who lacked adequate knowledge of menstrual hygiene.
He noted that the training covered how to make reusable pads, personal hygiene practices, washing underwear properly, and recognizing signs that indicate the onset of menstruation. He called on parents especially mothers to give more attention to the girl child, whom he described as “more fragile than boys.”
Students who participated in the workshop also shared their experiences. Miss Abiola Opemiposi of Elekuro High School, Ona-Ara, and Miss Chidule Praise of Christ Anglican Secondary School, Egbeda, said the programme improved their knowledge of menstrual hygiene and gave them confidence to educate other girls.
They identified major challenges such as the high cost of sanitary pads, lack of clean toilets, inadequate water supply, and stigma when their pads become soaked.
They encouraged their peers not to view menstruation as an illness but as a sign of good health and womanhood.
As part of their innovations, the students created a pad bank, reusable biodegradable menstrual pads, biodegradable disposal pits, a movable toilet (“toilet on wheels”), menstrual cycle calendars, and washable reusable pads.
The event featured the winning innovation schools in Egbeda LGA, where Community High School, Alarere emerged first; Christ Anglican Secondary School, Akinfenwa came second; and Community High School, Alakia took the third position. In Ona-Ara LGA, Community High School, Oke-Ogbere came first; Community High School, Sawia took second place; and Elekuro High School emerged third.
The event also featured the presentation of certificates and prizes to participants. Community High School, Alarere, Egbeda LGA, emerged overall winner and went home with a sewing machine. Community High School, Oke-Ogbere, Ona-Ara LGA, won second place, while Community High School, Sawia, Ona-Ara LGA, took third place.
The pupils closed the event with a song they composed titled “My Period is My Pride, it is not a shame, it’s my monthly flow, it is not dirty, my period is my pride”.