The Anambra State Government is stepping up efforts to establish a comprehensive Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management Policy to address the high cost of sanitary products, inadequate toilet facilities in schools and limited menstrual health education.
The proposed policy received a boost when the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Mrs Esther Onyekesi, pledged the ministry’s full support for its adoption and implementation.
Mrs Onyekesi gave the assurance in Awka during an advocacy visit by the Development Centre for Orientation, Discovery and Empowerment (DeCODE), led by its Executive Director and Coordinator of the Anambra Menstrual Health Advocacy Coalition (AMHAC), Mrs Cynthia Enweonwu-Arinze.
The Commissioner described the proposed policy as a long-awaited initiative and assured the delegation of the cooperation of the ministry’s management and relevant departments in facilitating the necessary government procedures.
“I’m already in. It’s what I want. When somebody brings something you’ve been clamouring for, what do you do? Support with 100 per cent. You have my support 100 per cent,” she said.
She also expressed optimism that the policy would eventually receive the approval of Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
Making a case for the policy, Mrs Enweonwu-Arinze said menstrual health required a coordinated government response rather than isolated interventions, particularly to address the challenges confronting schoolgirls and other vulnerable women.
She cited a situation assessment conducted by DeCODE under its Menstrual Ease for Girls (ME4Girls) Project across 12 public secondary schools in six local government areas, involving 1,315 students.
According to the findings, 25.4 per cent of the girls had missed school because of menstruation within the preceding three months, while 83.8 per cent identified free or affordable menstrual products as their most pressing need.
The assessment also revealed significant gaps in school sanitation infrastructure, with only two of the 12 schools having toilets rated clean and safe, while just three had functional handwashing stations.
It further showed that only four schools had formal written menstrual health policies.
The situation was particularly concerning for students with disabilities, as 78.3 per cent of those who disclosed a disability reported that their school toilets were available but unusable, compared with 36.9 per cent of students without a disclosed disability.
Mrs Enweonwu-Arinze said the findings highlighted the need for a state policy that would guarantee access to affordable sanitary materials, improve water and sanitation facilities in schools, strengthen menstrual health education and address the specific needs of girls with disabilities.
She explained that the proposed policy would translate national commitments into a state-level framework with clearly defined institutional responsibilities, sustainable financing and accountability mechanisms.
She identified the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare as the lead government institution in the adoption process, while civil society organisations would provide technical support and advocacy.
According to her, the immediate priority was to work with the ministry to subject the draft policy and its implementation framework to the appropriate government review processes before presenting it to the governor for approval.
However, she cautioned that adopting the policy without dedicated budgetary provisions could undermine its effectiveness, stressing that sustained funding would be critical to achieving its objectives.
Also speaking, the project consultant, Dr Rose Amasiani, said the policy would help address the stigma, silence and misinformation surrounding menstruation while promoting the health and dignity of girls and women.
She recalled that a 2015 study in Nigeria exposed disturbing misconceptions about menstruation, including instances where young girls were wrongly advised that regular sexual activity could resolve menstrual problems.
Dr Amasiani said the proposed framework would ensure that menstrual health received adequate attention in households, schools and government programmes.
She also expressed concern over the rising cost of sanitary pads and called for sustainable measures to improve their affordability and accessibility.
While commending ongoing sanitary pad distribution initiatives by the First Lady of Anambra State, she emphasised the need to institutionalise such interventions through a sustainable, government-backed programme.
The advocacy process has already recorded progress with the establishment of AMHAC following a stakeholder workshop organised by DeCODE on August 21, 2026. The workshop attracted 51 participants from government institutions, civil society organisations, the media and the ME4Girls project team.
The coalition subsequently inaugurated a Technical Working Group, which met on September 11, 2026, to review the draft policy and its proposed implementation framework.
The meeting examined institutional responsibilities, coordination, financing, phased implementation, monitoring and accountability, culminating in a communiqué outlining recommendations for advancing the policy.
Angel Network News (ANN) reports that the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs Nkeiru Mokwe, and other officials attended the advocacy visit.
