In April 2025, WOSCONET launched a menstrual hygiene management (MHM) programme across six public secondary schools in Enugu State, bringing together hygiene kits, infrastructure rehabilitation, and structured education to address one of the most persistent but least discussed barriers to girls' school attendance and academic performance. The programme, conducted in partnership with the Enugu State Ministry of Education, an NGO coalition, and funding support from a private sector partner, reached more than 1,800 female students and 120 teachers and school administrators across Enugu North and Enugu South LGAs.
At each school, WOSCONET's programme team facilitated a day-long MHM orientation for female students in JSS1 through SS3, covering the biology of menstruation, dispelling myths and cultural taboos that cause girls to feel shame or fear around their periods, and providing practical instruction on the use and safe disposal of sanitary pads. Hygiene kits containing reusable cloth pads, disposable pads, soap, and a small waterproof storage pouch were distributed to every female student, with additional stock left at each school health room for girls who experience unexpected onset during school hours. Male students in the upper secondary classes were also given a shorter awareness session, designed to build empathy and reduce the teasing and stigma that girls often face from peers.
"No girl should miss school because of her period. We are breaking the silence and building the infrastructure that keeps girls in the classroom."
Alongside the education component, WOSCONET coordinated a physical assessment of toilet facilities at all six schools, working with the Enugu State Public Works Department to identify urgent rehabilitation needs. In four of the six schools, female toilets lacked functional doors, water supply, or waste disposal bins — conditions that made menstrual hygiene management effectively impossible. WOSCONET secured emergency funding to rehabilitate the most critical facilities, including the installation of lockable doors, water storage tanks, sanitary disposal bins, and handwashing stations adjacent to the female toilet blocks. School authorities were also equipped with a simple maintenance protocol to ensure the facilities remain functional after the programme's direct involvement ends.
Teacher training was an essential element of the programme, recognising that teachers are often the first point of contact when a girl experiences menstrual distress at school. WOSCONET's facilitators trained school health teachers, guidance counsellors, and female form tutors on how to create a safe and non-judgmental space for girls to discuss menstrual health concerns, how to respond sensitively when a girl stains her uniform, and how to identify girls who may be staying away from school during their period and offer proactive support. Several teachers reported that the training was the first time they had received any structured professional development on this subject.
WOSCONET is now advocating for MHM to be formally integrated into the Enugu State secondary school health curriculum, and has submitted a policy brief to the Ministry of Education outlining a sustainable, low-cost model for statewide rollout. The organisation is also engaged in conversations with the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board about extending the programme to primary schools, where the need is equally urgent and the girls reached are often on the cusp of menarche and in greatest need of accurate, compassionate information.