Abuja – The Health Aid for All Initiative (HAFAI), an NGO, has called on Principals and Teachers of Secondary Schools to champion the campaign against menstrual stigma and discrimination in the country.
The Country Director of the NGO, Dr Ugochi Ohajuruka, made the call in an Interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.
Ohajuruka said that it was imperative for principals and teachers who are the custodians of students to lead the campaign for the elimination of menstrual stigma in the society.
She said that the issue of menstrual stigma was a violation of human rights, because it was inflicting on the dignity of women and girls as well as violating their rights to non-discrimination.
She added that menstrual stigma and discrimination was a violation of women rights to body integrity, privacy and their freedom from inhuman and degrading treatment.
The country director stressed the need for management of schools to educate the girl child on how to take care of themselves during menstruation by organising health talks in schools.
“ This will encourage girls to feel free to discuss their Reproductive Health issues with their parents and guardians, “ she said.
Ohajuruka said that investigation conducted by HAFAI revealed that the girls were facing stigma and discrimination in relation to their menstrual health in some rural communities in the country.
The country director, therefore, advised parents and guardians to discard cultural believes surrounding issues of menstruation, saying “our culture should not impede us”.
“We can alter our culture to suite us and if our culture is harming us of what need is our culture then, so we have to break the silence surrounding these issues,’’ she said.
She expressed the determination of HAFAI to evolve strategies on how to eliminate all forms of menstrual stigma and discrimination through advocacy in the country.
Ohajuruka said that the NGO in collaboration with the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands, had organised workshop for principals and teachers to inform them about what girls were facing and their role in tackle the situation.
“We decided to involve teachers and principals of schools in FCT because they are key stakeholders and they influence the lives of young girls in secondary schools, generally.
“ We also reach out to Mothers, leaders of women Associations, traditional and religious leaders on reason why they should dispel taboo and stigma surrounding menstruation, “ she said.
The activist called on religious and traditional rulers to discourage secrecy and shame surrounding the issue of menstruation with a view to educating their followers in the society.
“Girl child needs to have adequate and accurate information for them to attain their full potential as women and they need to be well informed.
“Everybody should be concerned about this situation, this is an issue that is sending some of our girls out of school and we cannot attain gender equality if girls are not in school.’’
Ohajuruka pledged the commitment of the NGO to provide toilet facilities to some schools in rural areas where such facilities were not available or inadequate. (NAN)