Tales of Period Poverty and the state of Menstrual hygiene in the University of Ibadan
The opening story below is purely fictional and was created for contextual purposes. Any resemblance to real events or individuals is coincidental and should not be taken as factual.”
By Olufunmilola Oludare
As the night settled in, Dera felt an all-too-familiar sensation. Panic set in as she realized that she had just gotten her period. Frantically, she scurried to the village gate, where the makeshift “period” house was located. This house was a place she had visited every month since she was nine years old. She considered wearing thick clothes, but she had already cut almost half of her dresses.
Arriving at the house, she noticed one of the several clay pots that were being used as a cistern bowl. Despite being stained with the blood of a girl from the previous day, it was still in a better condition than the other pots. She hesitated for a moment, but the urgency of the situation forced her to sit on the pot. She carefully adjusted herself on the grimy pot, avoiding the bloodstained area. As she managed to breathe through the unbearable stench of dried blood mixed with dust, shivers traveled up her spine. With her left palm pressed tightly against her nostrils, she tried to filter out the toxic fumes as she took deep breaths through her mouth. Each exhale was followed by a prayer, pleading for her menstrual period to end soon. Despite her efforts, she could not shake off the feeling of dread. For Dera who could not afford proper menstrual products, she knew that she had to stay focused, as the period house was the only viable and immediate option.
The term “menstruation” derives from the Latin word "menses," which means moon, and refers to the lunar month that lasts about 28 days. It is the normal discharge of blood and tissue from the uterine lining through the vagina that occurs as part of a woman's monthly menstrual cycle. Menstruation occurs between menarche, a girl's first period, and menopause, when menstrual cycles end. One of the most important basic human rights is the right to health, including menstrual health. However, despite the increase in the number of girls and women who menstruate, the right to health, with an emphasis on sexual and reproductive health, continues to diminish.
Period poverty is a major issue faced by women and girls living in various parts of Nigeria. They struggle with managing their periods due to inadequate access to information, water, sanitary products, and hygiene facilities. According to research conducted by Pauline Tallen(2021), More than 37 million girls and women in Nigeria cannot afford menstrual hygiene products such as menstrual cups, pads, discs, tampons, and period pants. Every month, more than 37 million girls and women are unable to safely manage their periods. This issue is especially challenging for girls who are students and the negative impact of this condition cannot be overstated. Another research showed that 24% of Nigerian girls miss classes during their menstruation because of their inability to afford hygienic menstrual products. Sadly, University of Ibadan is not exempted from this reality. In an exclusive interview with Korede (not real name), she narrated how sanitary pads proved too expensive for her to afford. In her words,“Sanitary pads are very expensive but my mum sells. I take from her shop because that is the only way I get to wear pads every other month”
Tackling period poverty is raising awareness about menstruation first, then period poverty. Due to its sensitive nature, it requires the involvement of the community to implement effective solutions. It is imperative to project the issue within the community to generate consciousness. This awareness will enable people to lend their support towards finding solutions. Organizing workshops, village-rural area outreach and symposia is an effective means of raising awareness and promoting intensive discussions about period poverty among individuals of various interests and communities. According to an anonymous resident of Idia Hall, “pads take almost half of what I get from home as allowance, sometimes I have to explore other alternatives because if I don't, I'll go hungry”. This shows the extent to which period poverty has ravaged the female population.
In many cultures, menstruation has always been surrounded by taboos, myths, and restrictions that pose potential harm and risk to concerned individuals. Thankfully, NGOs have emerged to enlighten people on menstrual health. It is interesting to also know that there are Uites who do not use pads because their parents do not consider it hygienic or ideal enough, not because they can not afford it. An anonymous source told the press that she uses clothes, handkerchiefs and Napkins instead of pads because her parents do not subscribe to the use of sanitary pads. The preceding statement highlights the significance of awareness-raising as a major solution to addressing menstrual hygiene issues and period poverty.
Government involvement in tackling the challenges posed by period poverty is very important. Whatever issue the government concerns itself with gains national recognition and, in some cases, international recognition. In Scotland, a private bill enacted on January 12, 2021, was introduced by Monica Lennon. The bill, as introduced, proposed different ways to make period products available for free to people who need them. The bill included a scheme to allow anyone who needs period products to get them free of charge in schools, colleges, and universities, making a wide range of period products available for free. Likewise, the United States has passed over 60 related bills in the last eight years, and at least 24 states and the District of Columbia provide free menstrual products in schools, correctional facilities, and homeless shelters. Nigeria would greatly benefit from enacting menstrual health bills, just like Scotland and the United States. Since legislations are easier to enact at the state level than in the national assembly, where there are many concerns for discussion, recommendations can be made there first. If states can pass menstrual health bills, it would be much easier to do so at the federal level.
It is also important to recognize that while the government has a responsibility to ensure the protection and welfare of its citizens, it cannot execute all the tasks alone. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have a role in implementing public projects, such as addressing period poverty. Pad a girl child and A pad for her are NGOs in the business of providing free menstrual products for girls and women, amongst many others.
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