The federal government has created a pad bank for female National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) staff and corps members in case of emergency menstrual flow.
A statement by the director of press and public relations at the Ministry of Women Affairs, Eddy Megwa, said Pauline Tallen, women affairs minister unveiled the bank at the NYSC headquarters in Abuja.
She emphasised the need for continuous sensitisation of the female children and adults to menstrual and personal hygiene, and called for a continuous campaign against gender-based violence and the need to change the negative social norms among girls and women.
“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,” said Tallen.
“It is also to build the capacity of women and adolescents to see menstruation as a normal biological process.”
She explained that efforts should be intensified on the sensitisation, enrolment, orientation and education of young girls.
In his remarks, NYSC director-general, Muhammad Fadah, represented by the director of ICT, Christy Uba, pledged that the scheme would continue to make its workplace conducive, especially for the female gender.
Fadah noted that since gender mainstreaming became a national issue, the NYSC keyed into it and internalised it into its activities and programmes.
“I believe the choice of the NYSC as one of the ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to be honoured by the presence of the minister to unveil this pad bank is trajectory to the scheme’s commitment to effective and efficient service delivery,” he added.
