This day serves as a reminder of the shortcomings faced by women and girls in managing their periods, especially in low-income countries where access to clean water, sanitation and hygienic products is limited

The stigma and taboos surrounding menstruation are never heard or seen in a period-friendly world.

 Some health issues associated with poor and improper menstrual hygiene include:

  1. Yeast infection
  2. Urinary tract infection
  3. Bacterial vaginitis
  4. Pelvic inflammatory disease

Tips for maintaining good menstrual hygiene include:

  1. Avoid menstrual products that are scented
  2. Wear cotton underwear that allows air to penetrate
  3. Wash your vulva with water every day and avoid touching the vagina in order not to disrupt the natural balance of bacteria in the vagina
  4. Wipe your vagina from front to back
  5. Change tampons every 4 -8 hours depending on your flow

Through the necessary education, advocacy and outreach, we can have a period-friendly world where women and girls will manage their periods with dignity and without shame or fear. Together we can create a world where women and girls can break barriers and reach their potential regardless of their menstrual cycle because their menstrual cycle is a source of strength and resilience, a reminder of the power and beauty of being a woman.

2024 Theme; Invest in women: accelerate progress.

This year’s theme emphasises the necessary and inseparable roles of decent work and gender equality.

8th March is observed globally as International Women’s Day to reflect on issues like gender inequality, violence against women, reproductive rights and other social, economic and medical oppression against women.

When we inspire others to understand and value women’s inclusion, we forge a better world and when women are encouraged to be included, there’s a sense of belonging, relevance and empowerment.  

How to inspire women’s inclusion;

Forging women’s economic empowerment

Promoting the creative and artistic talent of women and girls

Encouraging women and girls into leadership, business and decision-making

Addressing other areas supporting the advancement of women and girls

Let’s forge a more inclusive world for women and fight a good fight together.

This campaign is to raise awareness of the global pandemic of women rights violations and to fight violence against women and gender inequality. The 16 days of activism against gender based violence is an annual campaign that begins on 25 November, the international day for the elimination of violence against women and was through international Human Rights Day on December.

Date made available to the guardian, by the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), should that a total of 2,543 cases of abuse were reported between January and September, 2022. Of this number, 2.340 are women, while 1,692 of the victims are married, 323 are single, 206 are co-habiting and 322 are undecided.

Within the period the report covered, Alimosho Local Council recorded the highest number of cases in each of the months. A total of 1,859 cases of domestic violence; 78 cases of threat to life; 38 cases of sexual harassment; 54 cases and 143 cases of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).

THIS YEARS THEME OF THE 16 DAYS IS “ORANGE THE WORLD”

UNITE! Activism to end violence against women and girls will aim to mobilize all society to become activists for the prevention of violence against women, to stand in solidarity with women’s right activists and support feminists movement around the world to resist the rollback on women rights and calling for a world free from VAWG.

WHY WE MUST ELIMINATE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human right violations in our world today remains largely unreported due to the impurity, silence, stigma and shame surrounding it.

In general terms, it manifests itself in physical, sexual and psychological forms, encompassing;

  1. Intimate partner violence (battling psychological abuse, marital rape, femicide)
  2. Sexual violence and harassment (rape, forced sexual acts,unwanted sexual advance, child sexual abuse, forced marriage, street harassment etc.
  3. Human trafficking (slavery, sexual exploitation)
  4. Female genital mutilation
  5. Child marriage

REMEDY/PREVENTION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

Violence against women can be prevented by strengthening women’s access to basic human rights and resources such as;

  1. Access to education
  2. Health care
  3. Affordable child care and elderly care
  4. Equal opportunities should be given to both genders

Girls are leaders. Girls are change-makers. Girls are driving good and growth around the world. They are a fundamental source of transformational change for gender equality, and technology is a crucial tool to support their work, activism and leadership ( UN Women 2021).

Every year on the 11th of October, we celebrate the The International Day of the Girl Child. This year’s theme is “Digital generation. Our generation”.

The world is driven by technological innovation and it is important that the Girl Child is not left behind. Traditionally, girls are discouraged from taking up subjects in STEM because they are groomed from the cradle to end up as just wives and mothers.

According to a report by Martin Luenendonk, women hold only 25% of all the jobs in the tech industry, 83% of boys in secondary school opt for STEM subjects, while only 64% of girls opt for STEM subjects. This disparity is also evident in the University, whereby 52% of males take STEM related courses, in contrast to only 30% females. He went to to explain that, females do not consider a tech career because it is not being put forward as one of the options they can take, this is to further buttress the stereotype that the tech industry is a man’s world.

We are joining hands with other organizations and civil societies to call for the proper education of female students about tech and its role in shaping the world. We are also engaging in ways to completely eradicate the stereotype that portrays tech as a career for only males; and ensuring that girls are exposed to more dialogues on careers in STEM and why they should be part of the train of Technology.

#InternationalDayOfTheGirlChild
#DigitalGenerationOurGeneration
#techgirls
#Girlsfortech
#UNWomen
#girlpower

We celebrated World Menstrual Hygiene day with girls from Imo Government Girl’s Secondary School Owerri.

This year’s theme centred on Action and Investment in Menstrual Hygiene and Health.

The girls were educated on the importance of proper hygiene especially when they are menstruating. They were enlightened on the need to drop the stigma associated with being on their period.
It was a really beautiful outing as each girl went home with sanitary packs.

We all have a role to play to ensure that we create a world without period poverty and stigma. We must make sure we play a role and be part of this movement.

September 8th each year is set aside to mark UNESCO’s International Literacy day. The importance of literacy from childhood to adulthood cannot be over emphasized.

Every International Literacy Day, we are reminded of the status of literacy among children and adult learning globally.

This year’s theme is focused on Literacy teaching and learning in the Covid-19 crisis and beyond hinging on the role of educators and changing pedadogies.

The Covid-19 crisis resulted in a halt in remote teaching and learning. Most educational programs had to be moved online. In Nigeria, it was an almost impossible task for the average child and adult to gain access to any form of online teaching or learning. A lot of school children were deprived of educational materials and programs and had to be out of school for almost six months.

This year, we should reflect and raise discussions around innovations in teaching methods for childhood and adult literacy programs during this pandemic era and beyond.

We call on the government to look into the policies, systems and measures that aid educators and learning institutions thereby enhancing the literacy level from the grassroots upwards leading to the achievement of SDG4.

Happy Children’s day to our beautiful children all over the globe

Children are little humans and they hear us, they see us, they have emotions and most of all, they do what they see us do. Let this Children’s day celebration be a reminder for us adults to be everything we want to see in our beloved children. This will help us shape them into adolescents and adults who will make the world a better place.

IWD 2020
THE THEME FOR THIS YEAR’S INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY IS #Each for Equal.
 
We are all responsible for promoting and equality of the genders in our respective spheres of existence in the society.
In respect to this year’s theme, we took the message of gender equality to the grassroots. School age children and their care givers were brought to knowledge of the true meaning of gender equality as it regards to promoting a Healthier, Wealthier and more Harmonious society. The children were given the opportunity to express  themselves during debates what they understand by gender equality. Their views were quite interesting as it exposed the need for more work to be done at the grassroots level. More work needs to be done in regards to promoting a gender balanced society, free of all forms of stigmatisation against women. We are excited to be part of this great move, and if we all contribute our quota in even the smallest amounts,  we will together create the future of our dreams.
 
In commemoration of the international women’s day 2020, Nigercare Development Aid International organised a school;s debate session on creating awareness on the subject of Gender Equality with the topic “A Gender Equal World is healthier, wealthier, and more harmonious.
 
see pictures after the cut.