Connected Development (CODE) and its partners have called for an end to menstrual stigma, describing menstruation as a natural process that should not bring shame.
The call was made during a media visit to Thrifty Slayer, a facility in Abuja that produces reusable sanitary pads.
Hamzat Lawal, Founder of CODE, said menstruation should never make women and girls feel embarrassed.
“This is a natural part of life for women and girls. I’m a father, husband, and brother. If we want women to achieve their dreams, we must support them.
“Society should not control what women can say or do about this issue. As men, advocates, and allies, we must make menstrual health a priority.
“We need policies that allow civil society groups, development partners, and private companies to make pads available in public schools, markets, and toilets, because periods can come without warning,” Lawal said.
He added that good menstrual hygiene can save men the cost of treating infections in their daughters or wives. It can also create jobs for women through the production of reusable pads.
According to him, reusable pads also help the environment by reducing waste from disposable products.
“Most disposable pads end up blocking drains, especially during the rainy season. Now, some groups collect waste fabric from tailors, sort it, and use it to make reusable pads that last three to four years,” he said.
Gbemi Elekula, Founder of HUMANx/Dream Homes, said her company makes quality clothes and uses part of the earnings to provide reusable pads for underserved communities.
She said 3,675 packs had already been given to six communities in partnership with CODE and Thrifty Slayer.
“Our goal is to ensure no girl misses school and no woman misses work because of her period,” she said.
Elekula also urged people to stop treating menstruation as a taboo.
“When we talk about food, we don’t whisper—so why whisper about menstruation? Women are created to bleed, and without it, there would be no reproduction. We must break the walls of stigma,” she said.
Honeybel Ajise, Manager of Thrifty Slayer, said their organization works to end menstrual poverty and train women and girls to make sanitary pads.
She said she hopes the partnership with CODE and HUMANx will help restore dignity to women and girls during their periods and remove the shame linked to it.
