The Federal Government Of Nigeria has unveiled sanitary pad bank for the use of NYSC female staff, Corps Members and other visitors that may have emergency menstrual flow while in the office.
While unveiling the Sanitary Pad Bank, at the NYSC National Directorate Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, the Minister For Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, she disclosed that the need for continuous sensitization of the girl child and female folk on menstrual and personal hygiene, campaign against gender-based violence and change the negative social norms among the female folk.
Tallen added that efforts should be intensified on the sensitization on the enrolment, orientation and education of the girl child.
She also mentioned that menstruation makes the girl child an easy prey for early marriage, sexual violence, teenage pregnancy, school drop-out, trafficking, among others.
“‘It is on this note that the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs mainstreamed menstrual and health management hygiene programmes and intervention to promote awareness on menstruation and hygiene and build capacities of women and adolescents to see menstruation as a normal biological process, Tallen said.
She urged Nigerians to embrace love and peaceful co-existence as election periods are drawing near.
The NYSC Director General, Brigadier General Muhammad Kaku Fadah in his address which was read by the Director of ICT, Mrs Christy Uba, said the Scheme would continue to make its workplace conducive, especially as it relates to the female gender, revealing that ever since gender mainstreaming became a national issue, the NYSC keyed into it and internalised gender mainstreaming into its activities and programmes.
He added that the Scheme has made giant strides on capacity building of gender officers and sensitization and advocacy campaigns in rural communities.
“I believe the choice of the National Youth Service Corps as one of the MDAs to be honoured by the presence of the Honourable Minister to unveil this Pad Bank is trajectory the Scheme’s commitment to effective and efficient service delivery”, he said.
General Fadah stated further that the unveiling of the Pad Bank will launch a new era of partnership between the NYSC and Federal Ministry of Women Affairs especially in the areas of gender sensitivity, provision of Pad Bank and support to the female staff in the workplace and during Orientation programmes, among others.
