Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation has distributed 6000 Sanitary Pads in commemoration of Year 2024 World Menstrual Hygiene Day, themed:
“Together for a Period Friendly World”. The annual event was held recently at the Isheri Skills Acquisition Centre, Olowora, Lagos.
In her address at the event organised to commemorate the Menstrual Hygiene Day, the State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), Hon. Bolaji Cecelia Dada said Girls and Women still face challenges in accessing menstrual products and it can lead to negative reaction outcomes, missed education and work opportunities, perpetual stigma and shame.
“We have done a lot of programmes in our Ministry. Since 2019 till date, over 65,000 families have benefited from our initiatives in the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. We must all work together to break taboos, beliefs and silence surrounding menstruation”, she said.
In her address, the keynote speaker Dr. (Mrs.) Amaka Aniekwe admonished the secondary school girls present at the event to be intentional about their menstrual health hygiene.
On her part, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Oluyemi Kalesanwo explained that the Ministry has taken upon itself to make sure girls and women are educated on how to take their menstrual health hygiene seriously.
Highlights of the event was distribution of Sanitary Pads to female Secondary school students present as well as female students at the Ministry’s Skills Acquisition Centres.
The team thereafter moved to Agboyi Ketu Riverine areas, Agbalata market, Ipodo market, Oko Agbon, Ilaje community, Sabo market Ikorodu where free Sanitary Pads were distributed to market women.