Stakeholders have called on the Bauchi State Government to establish sanitary pad banks in all female schools in a bid to improve the menstrual health of school children.
This is contained in a communique issued and signed by Grace Maikudi. who represented Civil Society Organisations in Bauchi at the end of a roundtable in commemoration of the 2023 International Day of the Girl Child with the theme: “Invest in Girls’ Rights: Our Leadership & Wellbeing.
The meeting was organised by the Attah Sisters Helping Hands (ASHH). Participants said that the establishment of the bank would also ensure continuous availability of pads in facilities for girls in school and out of school during emergency situations.
”Some of our girls miss school because they are on their periods. Some do not go to school because their parents do not have money to buy the products,” participants said.
They urged parents and guardians to report acts of sexual and gender-based violence to the appropriate authorities. They noted that parents and guardians do not report such abuses.
They also stressed the need for the provision of Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities in schools. The stakeholders also called for increased enrolment and retention of girls in schools.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the stakeholders include government officials , Civil Society Organisations, parents, students, traditional and religious leaders, People With Disability (PWDs)the Media among others.