3 weeks ago
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The Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) has called connected the Federal Government and each different applicable stakeholders to urgently code play poverty, fortify protections against intersexual unit successful schools, and follow a nationalist argumentation connected menstrual wellness to safeguard the dignity and rights of Nigerian girls.
WARDC Founding Director, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, successful a connection made disposable to journalists to people the International Day of the Girl Child connected Saturday, said that the rights, health, and empowerment of girls, peculiarly those successful agrarian communities, indispensable go a nationalist priority.
According to the statement, WARDC aligned with the 2025 taxable by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, “The Girl I Am, The Change I Lead: Girls connected the Front Lines of Crisis,” and called attraction to the soundless situation of play poverty, which continues to undermine girls’ education, wellbeing, and opportunities for leadership.
“Millions of Nigerian girls are inactive incapable to entree sanitary products, due hygiene facilities, and menstrual education,” the connection read. “This not lone keeps them retired of schoolhouse but exposes them to infections, trauma, aboriginal marriage, and lifelong inequality.”
Citing alarming statistics, the organisation noted that 1 successful 10 African girls miss schoolhouse during their periods, portion arsenic galore arsenic 25% of Nigerian schoolgirls deficiency entree to harmless menstrual hygiene products—challenges that are further amplified successful agrarian areas with mediocre infrastructure.
“Period poorness leads to predominant absenteeism, shame, intelligence trauma, and accrued hazard of reproductive tract infections. This is not conscionable a wellness issue—it is simply a quality rights issue,” the connection continued.
WARDC praised the caller constitution of a Menstrual Bank successful Bauchi State, describing it arsenic a landmark involution successful menstrual equity.
“We applaud Bauchi State’s bold measurement successful creating a Menstrual Bank that provides escaped sanitary products to girls successful schools and underserved communities. This is simply a exemplary worthy replicating nationwide,” the radical said.
As portion of its advocacy, WARDC issued a acceptable of wide demands, including the transition of a National Menstrual Health Policy and Law, strengthened schoolhouse protocols to forestall and study intersexual violence.
It further demanded an accrued fund allocation for girls’ wellness and hygiene programmes, broader assemblage sensitisation and antheral engagement, arsenic good arsenic a robust information postulation and probe connected girls’ wellness issues.
“Breaking the soundlessness and stigma astir menstruation is essential. No miss should beryllium near down simply due to the fact that of a earthy biologic process,” the connection urged.
Dr. Akiyode-Afolabi reaffirmed WARDC’s content that girls are not simply victims of crises, but agents of change, leaders, innovators, and contributors to nationalist development.
“Empowering girls with the basal tools of dignity, education, safety, and wellness is the instauration for a conscionable and thriving society. It is clip to emergence to the occasion, interruption the silence, and support each girl’s close to unrecorded with dignity.”
The International Day of the Girl Child, celebrated each October 11, highlights the unsocial challenges faced by girls worldwide and amplifies their voices successful shaping a much equitable future.
English (US) ·