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PLAN International Nigeria, a Non-Governmental Organisation has commended the Bauchi State House of Assembly for passing a bill to establish free sanitary pad banks in schools, communities and correctional facilities across the state.
Charles Usie, Country Director of Plan International Nigeria in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Monday described the move as a “consequential and epoch-making” development, making Bauchi the first state in Nigeria to legislate on menstrual health support for girls.
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Mr Usie asked the governor to grant the bill the same swift approval that the Child Protection Bill received in December 2023.
“The new bill on the establishment of pad banks in schools, when signed into law by the state governor, will help to reduce girls’ absenteeism from school as a result of their lack of funds to buy pads during their menstrual period,” he said.
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Plan International Nigeria
Plan International is a humanitarian non-profit organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. They support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood, and enable children to prepare for – and respond to crises and adversity.
Addressing period poverty
Mr Usie noted that if the bill is signed into law, the development will curb school absenteeism among adolescent girls who cannot afford menstrual hygiene products.
According to the World Bank, about 500 million women lack access to menstrual hygiene products and adequate menstrual hygiene management facilities.
In Nigeria’s North-east where insurgency and poverty have worsened access to menstrual hygiene products, girls often miss school during their periods due to a lack of sanitary materials.
According to the statement, Plan International Nigeria has piloted a menstrual health project in Bauchi between 2021 and 2023, pioneering the establishment of pad banks for adolescents in schools.
“It was a successful project as it ensured that more girls in the selected schools, where the project was implemented, continued attending classes despite experiencing their menstrual flow, a departure from the norm before the project,” he said.
The project, implemented in collaboration with the state’s government, led to increased school attendance among girls.
“We are excited that this model is now being legislated, not only for schools but also for community and correctional centres,” he said.
He also acknowledged the contributions of women-led organisations including the ASHH Foundation and Child is Gold Foundation in advocating the passage of the bill.
“This is a huge leap forward for the protection of girls in Bauchi State and a brighter prospect for their future through continuous learning,” he added.
Plan International’s role in Bauchi
The organisation stated that it has a long-standing partnership with the Bauchi State government on child protection and reproductive health initiatives.
“In 2023, we worked closely with the Bauchi state government, providing technical support for the lawmakers to pass the child protection bill,” Mr Usie said.
“We trained 18 women’s rights organisations including the 100 women group in the state who participated actively during the public hearing on the pad bank bill.”
Beyond menstrual health, the organisation has implemented maternal and child health projects in the state.
Mr Usie further said that between 2016 to 2020, Plan International executed the Bauchi Opportunities for Responsive Neonatal and Maternal Health (BORN) project, which transformed maternal and child healthcare.
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“Since 2022, it has focused on integrated sexual and reproductive health and rights, with funding from Global Affairs Canada.”
The current project aims to improve education, livelihoods, and mental well-being of adolescents in Bauchi and Sokoto states.
Mr Usie urged other states and the federal government to adopt similar initiatives to combat period poverty in Nigeria.
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