By Tope Musowo
In commemoration of the 2017 International Day of The Girl Child which is marked every October 11th, Project Forward Everyone has organized a workshop for adolescent girls in public secondary schools in Ibadan on Menstrual Health Hygiene and Self-esteem.
Project Forward Everyone, an organization poised to addressing developmental challenges in Nigeria through well-designed approaches yesterday drew experts from different departments to do justice to this year's theme, "Power of The Adolescent Girl: Vision for 2030".
Speaking at the programme,Women Leader and Sustainable Development Practitioner, Mrs Olanike Oladapo from the Center for Sustainable Development (CESDEV) Ibadan, focused her teaching on self-esteem when she urged the girls who were from different secondary schools across Ibadan the capital city of Oyo State, on the need to build a high self-esteem.
Emphasizing the difference between high and low self-esteem,why girls need to build their confidence level and achieve whatever they set their minds to achieve. She added that every girl is a “unique individual” and there is no one else in the world like her.
Another expert from the Department of Health Promotion and Education, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Prof. (Mrs) Oyedunni Orulogun spoke on “Demystifying Menstrual Health for the Nigerian Girl”.
She started her presentation by encouraging girls that they could achieve whatever they want to achieve and that gender is never an excuse. While highlighting some of the issues affecting girls such as education, nutrition, child marriage, legal and medical rights,she also spoke on some myths and misconceptions about menstruation especially the prevalent rural practice of girls being kept in the bush during their menstrual periods.
Prof. Arulogun stressed that menstruation could affect all aspects of a girl’s life especially in education, economics, health, participation and dignity but there is need for the girls not to limit themselves. She proffered simple steps on how girls can have healthy periods such as changing napkins 2-3 times a day, drying undergarments under the sun, keeping clean and dry.
She encouraged parents to seek advice about sexuality education in order to educate their girls,how parents need to talk to their girls especially during menstruation. She ended her presentation by encouraging girls to live a healthy and fulfilling life.
Meanwhile,speaking with Devcom Nigeria after the event, a cofounder at Project Everyone, Miss Chinonso Onwunali explained that the aim of the workshop was to empower the school girls with the right knowledge about menstruation and increase their esteem to go after their life goals in line with the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals.
"The main aim of the event is to positively engage school girls within Ibadan on menstrual hygiene and self-esteem issues. There is a need for adolescent girls to be aware of the changes their bodies go through at adolescence. They need to have the correct knowledge about menstrual hygiene and self-esteem which are important at this stage of their life.
"We believe that in doing this, we will be giving the girls the right education, promoting
the good health and wellbeing of these girls and also expose them to better opportunities in life through lifted self-esteem",said Chinonso.
Schools that were represented at the event include the following among others;Community High School, Sango,Immanuel College High School, Orita UI,.Isabatudeen Girls High School, Basorun.The students showed willingness to learn, asked relevant questions from the resource persons and as well participated actively in the breakout sessions.
Project Forward Everyone expressed its willingness to take the issue of menstruation and self-esteem to other schools and to the rural areas. The organization was optimistic that there was a need to engage more girls within a safe space and create more girl child ambassadors advocating for the rights of girls.
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