By: Chetachi Ifeme
As part of activities marking the International Women’s Day, the National Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, Rivers State in collaboration with the National Youths Council of Nigeria, NYCN, Rivers State branch carried out a personal hygiene sensitisation for the girl child through the ‘Pad a Girl Initiative’.
The chairman of NYCN in the state, Comrade Nwisabari Bani who noted that a woman’s thinking is being controlled by her feelings, said if a woman due to the hormonal changes which may affect her behaviour during her menstrual circle is treated poorly, she will feel disconnected and as such affect her relationship with other gender.
According to Bani, “in the course of this research, we discovered that some of the issues in child bearing are not as a result of witchcraft rather it emanated from bacteria related infections due to poor hygiene process of menstrual periods”.
For him, the initiative is to teach women how to take care of themselves, donate as well as guide them on how to use the sanitary pad.
He noted that the initiative also aims at empowering the girl-child.
” We are going to give them economic empowerment materials in the area of skill acquisition they have learnt and also give them take-off funds to drive the process,” he said.
On her part, Secretary of the Medical Women Association of Nigeria, MWAN, Rivers State branch, Dr. Vivian Ogbonna used the opportunity to raise awareness about equality issues concerning women while advising every girl child to take her hygiene very important.
“Every girl child should have the opportunity to live their potential and to be educated,” she noted.
Also speaking, the state chairperson, Nigeria Labor Congress State Women Committee, Comrade Opiks Erekosima said it will be almost impossible for power to be given rather it should be taken.
For her “political positions should be given based on meritocracy where political parties allow qualified women the opportunity to contest and carry their flags”
