Shattering the taboos about menstruation and breaking the silent: IROEGBU, Daniel Ifegwu working to end the stigma surrounding menstruation and improve menstrual hygiene in NigeriaChampioning “Breaking the silent on menstruation, improving menstrual hygiene management (MHM)” and handwashing through school mobilizations, knowledge transfer, partnership, advocacy and awareness among key stakeholder’s in Nigeria.In Nigeria, menstruation is a very sensitive issue that is not publicly discussed and is associated to sexual impurity and this notion is the cause of a culture of silence and shame surrounding sexuality and menstruation. In most rural Nigeria, due to in affordability, inaccessibility and unavailability of hygienic sanitary pad, materials such as cotton, wool, socks, toilet paper, pages torn from school exercise book, old newspaper, and pieces of sponge torn from mattresses are use, as well natural materials such as mud, leaves or cow dung, animal skins, feathers or holes are dig in the ground to sit on for the duration of the menses, as menstrual hygiene management method are used by vulnerable women and girls to manage their menstruation which can be detrimental to their health. Most girls have only two or three change sanitary cloth, thereby resorted to wearing a damp cloth which cause health risk and can lead to potential embarrassment when cloth gives a strong distinctive scent. Due to high cost of sanitary pad, many girls and young women uses one sanitary pad a day as against changing between 2 to 6 hours daily especially in the rural area.Widespread misconception, negative attitude and general silence surround menstruation resulting from consistent lack of knowledge and education among the girls and the community. The ignorance, inaccurate, false information and poor menstrual education increase the unnecessarily social, emotional, physical and psychological trauma girls and young women encounter due to menstruation. In communities, several deep rooted cultural, religious and traditional taboos, restrictions and harmful practices surround.Many cultures believe that menstruating women should isolate themselves in menstruating hut/ room because the menstrual blood pollutes the house. Some believe that burning menstrual cloths has a consequence of causing itching all over the body, change in body colour and generates internal heat in the woman body or causes cancer and infertility because human blood is burnt. Some culture and religion place many restrictions on menstruating women, such as restrictions from movements, cooking for their husband and preparing meals, eating certain diets, carrying newborn, going near the yam

barn, touching pepper plant less they die, crossing certain streams and village shrine, participating in religious and social activities, worship is allowed only outside the church premises and they are not allow to pray as they are perceived as been unclean. Additionally, a menstruating woman or girl should not touch juju (charm) or it will no longer be potent/ or effective. Many forbid them from washing sanitary cloths and keeping them hygienically clean as they are perceived as been unclean, filthy, accursed or posses by evil spirit and can bring bad luck” still surround menstruation due to poor knowledge and “Not Been Bold to Break the silent on menstruation.In some rural Igbo communities South-East Nigeria, menstruating girls and young women are asked to avoid sweetened foods which are believed to increase menstrual cramp and flow. Some women believe that menstrual blood is toxic to sperm which can cause both the woman and a man to become infertile. Menstruating women and girls are discouraged from carrying newborn baby for fear it would lead to menorrhagia later in life. Some believe that bathing in a particular river during menstruation can restore a woman’s fertility. Many women believe that menses is a cause on womanhood, many think that God created menstruation to punish women and others believe that women with menstrual problem are suffering from the sins of their forefathers. In schools some teachers suppose that a girl child who accidentally stains her uniform during menstruation is misbehaving. Girls facing negative feelings due to menstrual related-health problems do not concentrate well and miss multiple school classes and that affects their performance. All these negative attitudes, taboos and restrictions violates a girl child fundamental human right to non-discrimination, equality, education, health, privacy, free movement and freedom from inhuman and degrading treatment and inflicts on their dignity, reinforcing gender inequality Nigeria Child Right Bill, (2003). Poor menstrual hygiene management among in-school girls and young women especially lead to school absenteeism and poor enrolment, reduction in concentration during learning especially among rural girls that cannot afford sanitary pad. Menstruating girls and young women face some mental, emotional and psychological trauma and difficulties during menstruation due to menstrual pain, shame, embarrassment, fear, weakness discomfort and anxiety over inability to effectively management their menses in privacy, with respect and dignity, poor water to wash and inadequate functional sanitary facilities. They prefer to stay at home to reduce fear of leakage and being teased from their male classmates when they notice leakage.

As a passionate WASH and women advocate, Daniel engage tirelessly with schools, civil society, the government, the private sector and local community leaders including the religious leaders to provide much needed menstruation and menstrual hygiene management education by facilitating discussions and increase understanding of menstruation and menstrual hygiene management (MHM) among women and men of all age group even under challenging circumstance as part of his mission to improve the livelihood of women and girls in the hard to reach rural Nigeria. Daniel is shattering taboos about menstruation and breaking the silent together with his organization, Daniel Iroegbu Global Health Foundation through promoting handwashing in schools, conduct menstruation education and menstrual hygiene management training of school management Board, older women (women August meeting in South-East, Nigeria), traditional and religious leaders to mitigate against harmful practices, deeply rooted negative attitude and restrictions surrounding menstruation and menstrual hygiene management which violate the fundamental human right of a girl child and young women.It is not all about providing sanitary napkins, “is also involve dealing with the harmful practices, deeply rooted negative attitude and restrictions surrounding menstruation and menstrual hygiene management” from the boys (classmates) and the men in the rural communities that affects the girls school attendance, enrolment, mentally, psychological and physically. Despite the determination and the collaborative approach, Daniel faces a significant challenge. While a few individuals have supported the work by providing supplies, the future is uncertain. With government efforts focused in major cities rather than rural communities, Daniel is fighting to continue his work without adequate resources. “It is hard to reach these people,” “we struggle in rural areas because we need various items to carry out the training such as Utility Vehicles, Laptops, projectors and even generators because there is no electricity.” Daniel’s ability to expand his work to other communities depends on whether or not he can secure the additional funding that he hopes will come soon.