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For girls who cannot easily afford sanitary products or have never had a safe place to ask questions about their periods, menstruation can come with more than the discomfort of a monthly cycle. It can mean managing a basic health need with whatever is available while navigating embarrassment and misinformation at the same time.
In the midst of this gap, Àlàáfíà Initiative for Gender and Development (AIGD) is seeking to address it with a new programme focused on menstrual health, girls’ education and support for children from vulnerable families.
The organisation was formally launched in Nigeria on Tuesday, August 11, after beginning its work with a menstrual health outreach, Pad with Confidence, on July 25. The programme brought girls and women together to discuss menstrual health and hygiene, while sanitary pads were distributed to participants. The outreach also addressed some of the myths and misconceptions surrounding menstruation. Àlàáfíà’s founder, Dr Temilola George, said the intervention is tied to something much bigger than access to sanitary products: dignity, because “development is measured by the dignity of people.”
Speaking at the launch, she added that the organisation believes development should ultimately be measured by people’s well-being and dignity, including whether children can remain in school and whether women can provide for themselves and their families.
That idea is reflected in the organisation’s two projects. The Pad with Confidence Project, which will run every May during Menstrual Hygiene Month, is designed to provide menstrual health education and support to girls, women and communities. The programme will also address the misconceptions that can make menstruation a source of shame rather than a normal part of reproductive health. Rather than treating menstrual health as simply a matter of handing out pads, the programme created space for participants to discuss what they know, what they have been taught and some of the ideas surrounding menstruation that can leave girls confused or uncomfortable about their own bodies.
The organisation’s second Initiative programme, the Back to School Project, will take place every September and provide school supplies, learning materials and other assistance to children from vulnerable families. According to Àlàáfíà, the project is intended to help ensure that circumstances beyond a child’s control do not cut them off from education.
These two projects place girls’ access to education alongside their access to menstrual health support. A girl should not have to navigate her period without adequate information or basic supplies, just as access to education should not depend on whether her family can meet every cost associated with returning to school.
Àlàáfíà’s plans extend beyond the two projects. The organisation says it will also work on girls’ education, gender based violence and harmful practices, skills acquisition and entrepreneurship for women and young people, mentorship and scholarships for disadvantaged students, as well as community health outreaches. Its menstrual health programme is being introduced as part of a wider effort to address everyday issues affecting women and girls, from access to health information and education to the economic circumstances that can limit their opportunities. Dr Temilola said the organisation would work with professionals, businesses, development organisations, volunteers and community members, acknowledging that the challenges facing communities require collaboration
