Port Harcourt — Federal, state, and local authorities have been urged to integrate menstrual health education into the school curriculum nationwide.
The founder of the youth advocacy group, ‘The EmpowerHer Project’, Elizabeth Odukoya, made the appeal over the weekend during the unveiling of a book, ‘Periods, Pads and Proud’, in Port Harcourt.
Odukoya said the group, backed by a growing network of 60 passionate volunteers, including students and medical professionals, is carrying out advocacy on the importance of menstrual health.
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She said that the group is also working with schools and local authorities to integrate menstrual health into school curricula and also advocating for a future where no girl has to miss school, feel ashamed, or lack the resources she needs simply because of her period.
She pointed out that the group has reached out to more than 3,000 girls across 11 schools and communities in Nigeria, delivering interactive health talks and distributing over 3,000 free menstrual products, while promoting sustainable, reusable sanitary pads as a long-term and eco-friendly solution.
Odukoya said, “The EmpowerHer Project is building a movement for change. We are working with schools and local authorities to integrate menstrual health into school curricula and advocating for a future where no girl has to miss school, feel ashamed, or lack resources she needs simply because of her period.
“In just over a year, we’ve reached more than 3000 girls across 11 schools and communities in Nigeria, delivering interactive health talks, distributing over 3000 free menstrual products, and promoting sustainable,reusable sanitary pads as a long-term, eco-friendly solution.”
Odukoya added that the non-governmental organisation “breaks the silence and stigma around menstruation through open and practical education.
“We empower girls with knowledge and confidence to manage their periods safely and with dignity, while also engaging teachers, parents, and communities to challenge harmful myths and taboos,” she stated.
Dr. Chinedu Nwaodu, Director of Quality Assurance at the Rivers State Ministry of Education, urged young girls, parents, and teachers to take menstrual health seriously. Nwaodu said all the secondary schools in Rivers State are equipped with relevant facilities to educate the girl child about menstrual health.
She urged both teachers and parents to educate the girl child on the importance of menstrual health.
Reviewing the book, a professor of Haematology in the college of medical science, Rivers State University, Prof Kaladada Korubo, said the book throws more light on what the female genital system is all about and talks about what menses and period actually mean.
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Korubo noted that the book explained what manque is all about, saying that manque is the very first time a girl has her period.
“So the advantage is that knowledge is power, so for that little girl who doesn’t know anything about menses, having read this book, that little girl is going to know it all. Some of us as mothers have never even discussed menses , period with our girl child, we just wait, we start observing the child when the child is about 9, 10 years,” she said.
Other speakers at the event emphasised the importance of menstrual education, particularly in rural areas where disparities and barriers exist.
Dr. Wyse Biobele, a seasoned educator, stressed that education is key to understanding and embracing menstruation as a natural part of life. According to him, the book covers various topics, including recognising signs of the first period, tracking cycles, and making reusable pads.
