Precious Ajayi and Favour Ani (Lead Writers)
For Hannah, a 13-year-old student in Junior Secondary School 1 (JSS1), the arrival of her monthly period is a source of dread. Every month, she misses school rather than face the humiliating possibility of staining her uniform, which she fears would result in stigma and ridicule from her peers.
Hannah’s experience is not unique. It reflects a reality faced by many girls across Nigeria. Her story serves as a reminder of the debilitating impact of period-related stigma on young girls, forcing them to sacrifice their education and affecting their wellbeing.
Menstrual hygiene is essential for women and girls’ health, dignity, and empowerment. In Nigeria, an estimated 37 million adolescent girls face challenges during their periods, ranging from limited access to sanitary products and inadequate water and sanitation facilities, to the persistent burden of societal stigma. This reality, widely referred to as Period Poverty, continues to deepen inequalities.
A 2023 report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) found that 23% of adolescent girls in Nigeria had missed school due to menstruation. Poor menstrual hygiene management in schools contributes to high rates of absenteeism, with far-reaching consequences for education outcomes the country’s economic future.
Each year, the global community marks World Menstrual Hygiene Day with awareness campaigns, school and market visits aimed at educating people about menstrual hygiene and promoting a culture of understanding and support. While these efforts are commendable, the question remains, are they enough?
Too often, men and boys are left out of conversations about menstruation, despite their critical role in challenging stigma and promoting dignity and health. Why is menstrual hygiene seen as solely “women’s business” when in many households, fathers and brothers influence household priorities and decisions?
With this year’s theme “Together For a Period-Friendly World”, how can men be meaningfully included in the conversation and empowered as allies to promote menstrual health and hygiene? What if men in leadership and allyship — from community chiefs to Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), championed access to clean toilets for girls and other menstrual hygiene infrastructure as a basic right for every girl?
Three practical ways Nigerian men can push for a period friendly world
1. Breaking stigma by normalising conversations about periods
To help break the stigma, men and boys must actively engage in conversations about menstrual health with the women and girls in their lives, whether their daughters, sisters, or even colleagues. Asking a simple, empathetic question like “How are you doing this week?” or a brother offering a word of comfort during their sister’s menstrual cycle can create a more supportive and open environment. In such spaces, women and girls would feel more confident to share their experiences, struggles, and concerns without fear of judgment.
In Bangladesh, educating school boys about menstrual hygiene management (MHM), led to a 13% increase in their comfort level of discussing puberty-related issues, both in school clubs and or with friends also increased.
Men taking the initiative to educate themselves about menstrual health, whether through reading informative literature or simply acknowledging the discomfort of cramps that women and girls experience, plays a critical role in breaking the stigma associated with menstruation.
This proactive step communicates to women and girls that periods are natural and nothing to be ashamed of. Similarly, fathers and brothers who engage in open discussions about their health challenges, be it headaches or stomach aches, establish a safe space for daughters to communicate about their menstrual experiences without apprehension.
A 2023 study in the Journal of Adolescent Health highlights that involving men in conversations about menstruation helps reduce stigma. When men are informed and empathetic, it fosters supportive spaces where women feel safe discussing menstruation, echoing the call for fathers, brothers, and colleagues to engage openly and compassionately in menstrual health dialogue.
2. Invest in hygiene infrastructure
Men, in their various roles within the community, whether as Parents Teachers Association (PTA) members, managers, local councilors or community elders, hold a unique capacity to be powerful advocates for girls’ education and menstrual equity. By advocating for dedicated funding in school and community budgets for essentials such as secure toilets, hand-washing stations with soap, and free menstrual products, they can make a significant and lasting impact the lives of girls.
Such efforts have already yielded positive results in places like Benue, where these investments have reduced. school absenteeism caused by a lack of proper menstrual facilities.
Beyond the confines of schools and local communities, men in positions of leadership, such as heads of organisations and business owners, can also make a significant difference in advancing menstrual health. By incorporating menstrual products into workplace wellness programmes, introducing menstrual leave policies, and ensuring access to safe, hygienic restrooms, they can help create more equitable and supportive environment for women within their organisations and beyond.
3. Advocate for policy and financial support
Men can also play a vital role in advocating for the implementation of period friendly policies such as the provision of free or subsidised menstrual products for women and girls. Countries like Namibia have introduced a zero rated value added tax (VAT) on sanitary pads, helping to reduce the financial burden on girls and women. In addition, men can champion policies that mandate menstrual health hygiene education in primary and secondary schools, and require all public schools to meet basic water and sanitation hygiene (WASH) standards.
A 2020 study in northern Ethiopia also found that providing menstrual hygiene kits and education led to a 24% drop in girls’ school absences, showing that effective menstrual hygeine management policies can significantly reduce absenteeism.
To Nigerian men, seize the moment in this Menstrual Hygiene Day as an opportunity to join the fight to take action toward a period-friendly world. Start by having one meaningful conversation at home this week. Ask your wives, daughter, sister, or ward how they cope during their monthly period.
Rally your community to assess the state of one school’s washrooms next month. Make a commitment to buy or donate menstrual products to a girl in need. One conversation, one sanitary product, one policy decision at a time, Nigerian men can also come together to build a more supportive and equitable world for every girl.