Northern Pulse: WISE, One Tribe Initiative trains 40 women on reusable sanitary pads production in Kaduna

By Sani Idris Abdulrahman

Two NGOs, Women Initiative for Sustainable Environment (WISE) and One Tribe Initiative, have trained no fewer than 40 women in Kaduna on reusable sanitary pads production to enhance menstrual hygiene.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training was part of activities lined up by the NGOs in preparation for Menstrual Hygiene Day, observed annually on May 28.

Menstrual Hygiene Day is dedicated to breaking taboos and raising awareness about the importance of proper menstrual hygiene management (MHM).

At the end of the two-day training on Saturday in Kaduna, the Founder and Executive Director of WISE, Mrs Olanike Olugboji-Daramola, said the organisation focuses on placing women at the centre of addressing environmental and climate-related challenges.

She said the training was aimed at equipping participants with practical skills to produce reusable sanitary pads.

Olugboji-Daramola added that reusable sanitary pads were selected because they are eco-friendly and safer for the environment compared to disposable pads that do not decompose easily due to the materials used in producing them.

She noted that reusable pads also promote women’s health while reducing environmental pollution caused by indiscriminate disposal of sanitary products.

“Large volumes of waste generated from disposable sanitary pads has become a major environmental concern because of poor disposal practices in many communities,” she said.

Olugboji-Daramola said promoting reusable sanitary pads would significantly reduce waste generated from menstrual hygiene products while encouraging sustainable and responsible consumption.

She explained that the training was also intended to help women end stigma surrounding menstruation and create communities where women and girls can freely discuss menstrual health issues.

According to her, the programme aligns with the vision of the upcoming years’ Menstrual Hygiene Day by promoting a period-friendly society where menstruation is no longer treated as shameful.

She disclosed that the organisations had already identified a primary school where advocacy activities would be carried out to engage female students, boys, teachers and male teachers on menstrual health education.

The executive director added that the organisations planned to build a coalition and consortium around the initiative to secure financial support for participating groups and sustain the intervention in communities.

“It is an economic driven approach, beyond teaching the women how to produce reusable sanitary pads, they can also gain financially from it,” she said.

The Founder and Executive Director of One Tribe Initiative, Magdaline Musa, said the initiative was designed to provide sustainable solutions to period poverty and environmental challenges affecting women and girls.

She said the organisations deliberately targeted women leaders managing cooperatives, initiatives and community groups to ensure the knowledge gained would be transferred to other women across communities.

Musa explained that the high cost of disposable sanitary pads had made them unaffordable for many low-income households, forcing many women to struggle with menstrual hygiene management.

One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Ruth Solomon, Founder of Mainasara Multipurpose Cooperative, said the training exposed her to modern methods of producing reusable sanitary pads for hygiene and economic purposes.

She explained that her cooperative consists of 20 women and expressed readiness to mobilise and train members after returning to her community.

Solomon said reusable pads were similar to methods used by older generations but had now been modernised through the training provided by the organisations.

She added that the knowledge gained would help women improve hygiene, establish small businesses and boost their economic activities through production and sales of reusable sanitary pads.

According to her, the initiative would also help spread awareness on menstrual hygiene beyond their immediate communities while improving women’s livelihoods.

Another beneficiary, Juliana Turaki, President of Gonin Gora Women Multipurpose Cooperative Society, described the training as enlightening and transformative.

Turaki said the programme had helped her understand that menstruation should not be treated as a taboo or shameful subject within families and communities.

She noted that the training also highlighted the importance of educating men and boys to support and protect women and girls during menstruation.

According to her, reusable sanitary pads are cheaper, healthier and more reliable because users are aware of the materials used in producing them.

Turaki said she planned to step down the training to members of her cooperative and young girls undergoing fashion design training under her mentorship.

She added that the initiative would help young women returning to schools and higher institutions by providing affordable menstrual hygiene options and opportunities for income generation. (NAN)