Self-determination for women and girls: Menstrual hygiene and education in Nigeria

With 224 million inhabitants, Nigeria is the most populous African country and has the largest economy in Africa. However, the country faces a number of challenges. The jihadist organization Boko Haram, which mainly operates in the north-east, has been carrying out attacks on villages, towns and civilians since 2009, destroying houses, churches, schools, stores, wells and fields, destroying crops, abducting and killing women, men and children. Those who can, flee from the attacks. Sexual violence is a huge problem. Many girls and women have lost their husbands or parents, have been abducted and raped. They have to submit to the men in their lives and often do not have the chance to receive an education or vocational training. Girls are married off early, it is not worth investing in their education, so they often have little chance of making their own decisions.

Monthly menstruation is often perceived as a disgrace and women and girls hide at home, partly because they have no access to sanitary products. The workshops on the production of high-quality, washable and therefore reusable sanitary towels not only combat menstrual poverty, but also enable girls and women to actively participate in daily life. Many of them also produce the sanitary towels in order to sell them and earn money.

Program Goals

• Help for girls and women who have experienced sexual violence: Medical care goes hand in hand with trauma treatment and psychosocial support as well as the offer of legal assistance.
• Advocacy in a very patriarchal society for the equality of women and girls, for a new concept of masculinity based on equality in order to strengthen the rights of women and girls. 
• Commitment to the education and training of girls and women.
• The production of high-quality and reusable menstrual hygiene products that enable girls and women to participate in daily life during their periods and strengthen their dignity. At the same time, menstrual poverty is combated, the environment is protected and the graduates of the course are given the opportunity to earn money by selling pads they have made themselves and to work together with representatives of the other religion.

Target group

• Women and girls suffering from violence and oppression
• Women and girls who have no access to menstrual hygiene and are therefore excluded from participating in daily life during their period. 
• Christian and Muslim women are represented in roughly equal groups. They get to know each other better, make friends and thus contribute to interreligious understanding.

Activities

• Advocacy for the equality of girls and women and the commitment to a masculinity based on equal rights
• Help for girls and women affected by gender-based violence
• Organization of further education and training measures to empower women and girls
• Organization of RUMP workshops on the production of high-quality, reusable menstrual hygiene products, 
• Cooperation between girls and women from Muslim and Christian backgrounds as a contribution to promoting peace between religions

Project progress

In 2025, the project also focused on this often taboo everyday topic: menstruation. In workshops, girls and women learned how to sew reusable menstrual pads themselves. The products are washable, durable and inexpensive to produce. This approach works on several levels: It reduces shame and taboos because menstruation is discussed openly. It lowers barriers for girls and women so that they can go to school, work and participate in social life even during menstruation. At the same time, reuse reduces waste and conserves resources. For participants, the production of sanitary pads also opens up an income opportunity. The project reached over 150 girls and women in three workshops. The fact that Christian and Muslim participants learned and worked together also strengthened trust and cohesion in Nigeria, which is characterized by religious conflicts.

Another project in Jos sent out a visible signal against gender-based and sexualized violence. The Muslim organization ICIN and the Christian organization WGCRDI worked closely together. Together, they visited four communities, held talks with the population and used community theater to openly address violence, break taboos and draw attention to support services. Those affected received concrete help. A total of 46 cases of violence were supported; 17 women and girls received psychosocial support and legal advice. Victims were referred via lawyers, the police and the National Human Rights Commission, among others. In addition, training courses empowered women and girls in their everyday lives. They received information about their own rights and knowledge about sustainable, climate-adapted agriculture with the aim of reducing economic dependency. The approach combines protection against violence with long-term economic empowerment, adapted to the realities of women's and girls' lives.