FG unveils sanitary pad bank for NYSC female staff, corps members

The Minister for Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, has unveiled a sanitary pad bank for the use of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) female staff, corps members and other visitors that may have emergency menstrual flow while in office.

This was even as she stressed the need for continuous sensitisation of the girl-child and on menstrual and personal hygiene, campaign against gender-based violence and change in the negative social norms among the female folk.

She made the disclosure on Tuesday while unveiling sanitary Pad Bank at the NYSC National Directorate Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja.

According to her, it was imperative to intensify the sensitisation on the enrolment, orientation and education of the girl child.

She disclosed 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.

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“I am appealing to all Nigerians, especially our future leaders to give peace a chance. Everyone has a role to play and we must all be peace ambassadors,” the Minister said.

On his part, the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Muhammad Kaku Fadah, in his address 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.

The DG who was represented by the Director of ICT, Mrs Christy Uba, 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 Honorable Minister to unveil this Pad Bank is trajectory to 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 the 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.

Adetola Bademosi