The Nigerian Navy has harped on the importance of girl-child menstrual and personal hygiene.

This came as the Navy Outpost in Ikuru Town, Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State yesterday carried out a one-day sensitisation programme tagged: ‘Girl Child Menstrual Health and Personal Hygiene’, for girls of Community Secondary School (CSS) Ikuru.

The programme, which was used to educate secondary school girls on how to maintain good hygiene during their menstrual flow, is a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) gesture of the navy as part of its non-kinetic operations in line with the Operation Delta Safe Sanity in the Niger Delta region.

The navy also called on the girl-child to build self-confidence in order to enable them achieve their life goals and help build society when they eventually become mothers.

In her presentation, Navy Lieutenant Ifeyinwa Okiselu highlighted the importance of the programme, saying that the inability to maintain personal hygiene during menstruation has led to low self-esteem and loss of classes among secondary school girls.

Okiselu pointed out that challenges faced by girls during menstrual flow include non-access to menstrual products, stigma and shame, lack of facilities, and health risks.

She mentioned some of the ways menstrual health and hygiene can be promoted among girls to include education initiatives, access to hygiene products, supportive environment and empowerment through knowledge.

According to her, “Menstrual health and personal hygiene are crucial aspects of every girl-child’s life, impacting their physical well-being, emotional stability and overall quality of life. For many young girls, the outset of menstruation can be confusing and sometimes frightening due to lack of prior knowledge or misconceptions.

“Proper education about menstruation is essential to alleviate fears and ensure that girls understand this normal physiological process.

“By prioritising menstrual health education, we can ensure that individuals have knowledge and confidence to navigate their reproductive health with dignity and confidence. Schools, parents and healthcare providers play pivotal roles in educating girls about menstruation, its biological purpose and how to manage it hygienically.”

Speaking with journalists shortly after the programme, the Commanding Officer Navy Out-post, Ikuru town, Captain Murtala Suleiman, emphasised the importance of the programme on the reproductive health of the students, saying the topic was chosen because a lot of women go through reproductive challenges as a result of lack of menstrual education.

Emphasising on the importance of self confidence in the girl-child, the Commanding Officer tasked the students never to see themselves as inferior just because they are women. He also thanked the authorities of the school for their collaboration in making the programme a success.

He noted the importance of girl-child education in nation-building and called for collaborative effort in addressing issues facing the girl-child.

He said: “I chose this topic today because I came to understand that our women folk are fighting with this issue and because of improper education most of our male counterparts don’t know and because they don’t know the women feel shy to talk or to come up when they are facing issues surrounding this subject.

“Self-confidence is built from knowledge. I hope the subject treated today will give our young children that are yet to reach maturity the confidence to know that when they reach that bridge they can cross it and know that it is nature, it’s not punishment, it is God’s way for raising a system in a woman.”

One of the students, Louinah Joseph, who spoke expressed joy, and thanked the navy for the knowledge impacted on them. She said it is the first time such sensitisation was being held for students in the community.

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