By Cecilia Ogezi
In Nigeria’s underserved regions, menstrual hygiene remains a challenging yet often neglected issue. Recognizing this, the Initiative for the Transformation of the Girl Child (ITGC), led by Executive Director Gimbiya Blessing Dyeris, is driving efforts to confront period poverty and promote menstrual hygiene education. Through targeted outreach and advocacy, ITGC aims to destigmatize menstrual health discussions and address the systemic barriers that prevent many young girls from accessing proper menstrual care.
According to Dyeris, menstrual hygiene is crucial yet largely disregarded amid more pressing struggles such as poverty, violence, and lack of education. “The neglect of menstrual hygiene management,” Dyeris emphasized, “can no longer be sidelined. For many girls, access to sanitary products is still an insurmountable challenge, with inadequate knowledge and support leading to further health risks and social stigma.”
Highlighting the personal nature of her commitment, Dyeris shared her own experiences growing up with limited guidance on menstrual health. “I come from a family with three other sisters. My father, despite his lack of knowledge on menstrual health, often had to assist us during our periods because our mother was frequently occupied,” she recalled. “These early experiences showed me the gaps in menstrual health knowledge and inspired my advocacy today.”
The lack of menstrual education has far-reaching effects, particularly in northern Nigeria, where Dyeris observed alarming trends in her research and outreach efforts. One notable encounter involved a young woman in the community she lived in Sokoto while studying at Usman Dan Fodio University who was unfamiliar with basic sanitary products. “When I asked her to purchase a sanitary pad, she looked confused, even after I named various brands. Eventually, I had to write down what I needed and direct her to a pharmacy,” Dyeris recounted. “Later, I discovered she had been using rags during her period, completely unaware of safer alternatives.” This interaction, she explained, exemplifies the dire need for menstrual education in rural areas.
In its efforts to create awareness on menstrual health ITGC is organizing an outreach event aimed at distributing Christmas hampers to over 1,000 girls. This program seeks to provide not only sanitary products but also comprehensive education on menstrual hygiene practices. The organization has integrated menstrual hygiene into its Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) initiatives, highlighting the essential role of safe menstrual practices in overall community health.
Dyeris’s advocacy is backed by research conducted in deeply underserved areas. During an intervention in the Kagoro region in December 2022, ITGC distributed sanitary products to internally displaced persons (IDP) affected by bandit attacks. The findings were sobering: approximately 39% of girls and women at these camps had never used a sanitary pad. This staggering statistic underscores the urgent need for menstrual hygiene awareness and resources.
As ITGC continues its mission, Dyeris is hopeful that more organizations and policymakers will prioritize menstrual hygiene as an essential part of health and education reform. She urges society to support initiatives that educate and empower young girls, enabling them to manage their periods with dignity and safety.
By fostering awareness and advocating for accessible menstrual products, ITGC is helping to break the cycle of period poverty. For thousands of young girls, this work is transformative, bringing them one step closer to a future where menstrual health is no longer a barrier to their education and well-being.
