Rakiya A.Muhammad
Education transcends privilege; it is an essential right inherent to all individuals. However, the often overlooked challenge of managing menstrual health and hygiene undermines this entitlement for several females, impacting their ability to participate in education fully.
Several females continue to face significant challenges, including repeated absenteeism, because of period poverty, which the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) describes as a lack of access to menstrual products, sanitation facilities and education for people who menstruate.
In Sokoto State, Northwest Nigeria, many do not have access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities, suitable and reasonably priced menstrual hygiene products, information on healthy practices, or a safe space where they can manage their periods without shame or stigma.
Mariya Mahmud, a Junior Secondary School student in Sokoto, is one of the estimated 500 million worldwide who, a World Bank report notes, lack access to menstrual products and adequate facilities for menstrual hygiene management.
“Our school lacks a toilet for girls, so we have to travel far away; I always feel uneasy about it and will often not go to school,” she reveals.
Halima Zuabiru, another JSS student, articulates a primary concern, highlighting the significant effect of a lack of information on the ability of menstruating girls to make informed decisions.
“When I first experienced my menstrual cycle, I felt apprehensive and uncertain about how to proceed,” she shares. “I found it difficult to focus during class; I had concerns regarding potential stains and the opinions of my friends.”
The adolescent felt a sense of helplessness and could not attend school frequently due to feelings of embarrassment.
Also, it has been an unpalatable experience for Farida Bello: “My menstruation is a source of anxiety since I never have the supplies I need and can’t always find a safe location to change,” she says. “Most times, I just stay home.”
UN Women, a leading advocate for gender equality, underscores the impact of inadequate sanitation facilities on girls’ education and women’s workforce participation.
“Not having access to safely managed toilets keeps many girls away from school and women away from work during their period,” it observes.
“Period poverty is also perpetuated by stigma and the lack of information and education -not only do many girls and young women lack awareness and are unprepared for their periods, but policymakers and adults with decision-making power in schools and workplaces also lack comprehensive menstrual education.”
UNICEF and WHO released a recent report, “Progress on Drinking Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene in Schools 2000-2023: Special Focus on Menstrual Health,” which examines emerging national data on menstrual health and hygiene in schools worldwide for the first time.
“Today, 1 in 5 children (447 million) still lack basic drinking water services at their school, 1 in 5 lack basic sanitation services (427 million), and 1 in 3 children (646 million) don’t have access to basic hygiene services,” the report highlights.
“Achieving the relevant Sustainable Development Goal by 2030 will require a two-fold increase in current rates of progress for basic drinking water, a two-fold increase for basic sanitation, and a four-fold increase for basic hygiene services.”
In Sokoto State, the 2022/2023 Annual School Census Report unveils alarming statistics, including that 538 public primary school pupils share a single toilet.
The ratio in public junior secondary schools within the state is 250 students per toilet, whereas in public senior secondary schools, 144 students per toilet.
Many schools lack access to safe water. For instance, the report reflects that 82% of Gada Local Government’s public junior secondary schools have no source of potable water.
Umm Fatima, a teacher with fifteen years of experience, notes that the prevailing situation results in a significant number of girls missing school during their periods, and some even drop out due to feelings of shame.
She points out: “When girls are absent due to menstrual issues, it creates a gap in their learning that can be hard to fill.”
Dr. Larai Aliyu Tambuwal, the Executive Secretary of the Sokoto State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, also notes that adolescent girls and women of childbearing age in Sokoto State encounter numerous socio-cultural challenges that hinder their access to critical information and menstrual health and hygiene management services.
However, she is optimistic that with the active involvement of policymakers, educators, and advocates, through education, ongoing sensitisation, and policy dialogue, stakeholders can help break down these barriers and ensure that every girl in Sokoto has the opportunity to receive a quality education.
To ensure the dignity, integrity, and respect of women and adolescents, Mr Michael Juma, UNICEF Chief of Field Office Sokoto state, says it is imperative to provide essential items to adolescent girls in schools, dispel misconceptions, stigma, and taboos associated with menstruation.
He underscores the importance of raising awareness about menstrual health and cleanliness among girls to promote adequate care and prevent infections.
Sokoto is implementing the Adolescent Girls’ Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), which is supported by the World Bank.
Dr. Mansur Buhari, Sokoto Coordinator of AGILE, says the project aims to improve secondary education opportunities in the implementing states by tackling challenges adolescent girls face that prevent them from accessing and completing secondary school due to socio-cultural, financial, and infrastructural deficits.
“Many girls stop going to school when their monthly cycle is on, affecting their education. Some even withdraw because of fear of embarrassment in school while on their cycle,” notes Dr Buhari.
“We have agreed that AGILE will now create what we call a sanitary locker in every girl and mixed school in Sokoto state where we will be providing sanitary pads and pain relief drugs to them so that they can get the encouragement to go to school.”
That is why every school has a Guidance and Counselling officer, he continues.
“We don’t allow male teachers in their health circle; only female teachers are allowed. The Guidance and Counselling officer must be a female; if it is a mixed school, a male and a female so that the male will take care of male issues and the female will take care of female issues,” the AGILE Coordinator elucidates.
“In their safe space, no man is allowed. There, only women and these women are sourced from within the community, not outside the community, so that these students would feel freer and the community will also feel safe in the hands of these people.”
He further explains:” We are moving to not just their menstrual hygiene but even their mental well-being, and that is why we have Guidance/ Counselling and SGBV Officers who would now make sure that they don’t face any harassment that may push them out of school.”
As part of their life skills curriculum, the girls will learn to produce reusable sanitary pads, enabling them to manage their care regardless of their financial capacity to purchase such products.
“These are the essential life skills we are discussing,” he asserts. “AGILE will invest in and teach them everything related to their health and livelihood.”
He also reveals that the project will improve sanitation and water facilities in schools across Sokoto state.
However, as the government actively implements the AGILE project, ensuring a gender-responsive Education Sector Plan is imperative.
The Education Sector Plan is a comprehensive strategic document that provides a vision for the educational system and functions as a roadmap to achieving it, as described by the United Nations Girls Education Initiative.
It outlines Gender-Responsive Education Planning (GRESP) as the means to accomplish this vision by identifying gender barriers within educational frameworks and ensuring that strategies and policies are in place to address them through the Education Sector Plan.
Rights advocate Halima Ibrahim is upbeat about the potential of a gender-responsive Education Sector Plan. She believes it can create a safe and supportive environment for girls and ensure that menstruation no longer hinders their education.
“Implementing strategies within a gender-responsive education sector plan, schools can significantly improve menstrual hygiene management, reduce absenteeism, and foster an inclusive educational environment for all students,” she points out.
“Access to menstrual products, clean and safe facilities, and comprehensive menstrual hygiene education redefine what education can mean for girls.”
This report was published with collaborative support from Impact House and the System Strategy and Policy Lab (SSPL).
