Breaking the Stigma: Pad Me A Girl Initiative promotes menstrual hygiene awareness

The “Pad Me A Girl Initiative,” a flagship project of GATMASH MEDIA, commemorated Menstrual Hygiene Day 2025 with twin outreaches in Ogun and Abuja.

The initiative aimed to advocate for menstrual dignity, fight period poverty, and empower young girls through knowledge and free essential supplies.

The outreaches took place at Isolog College, Akute, Ogun State, and Area 1 Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp, Durumi, Abuja.

At the IDP camp, the initiative brought compassion and essential supplies to quite a large number of displaced young girls and women.

Team members led a lively and informative session on menstrual hygiene management, teaching the girls how to stay clean, safe, and confident during their periods.

A 14-year-old beneficiary, Zainab Bature, expressed her satisfaction with the programme, saying, “This is the first time someone talked to me about my period in a kind way.

”I now understand that it is normal, not a curse.”

At Isolog College, Akute, the Convener of “Pad Me A Girl Initiative” and Chief Executive Officer, Gatmash Media, Theresa Moses, emphasised that Menstrual Hygiene Day was not just a date, but a call to action.

“A girl should not miss school, sports, or success because of her period.

”This initiative is about restoring what was taken from so many girls: dignity.”

Moses reiterated that menstrual hygiene was not just about physical health, but about confidence, inclusion, and gender equality.

“This did not only equip the girls physically, but also gave them long-term tools to manage their health and studies with confidence.

”We are not just giving out pads, we are rewriting the story of what it means to be a girl in Nigeria,” said said.

On her part, Mrs Amina Omoike, a Media Expert and Life Coach, stressed the need for young girls to ask questions, speak up, and be their sister’s keeper.

She said, “You are not alone. If you are confused, talk to your teacher, your mother, or your friend. Shame dies when we speak.”

The initiative received goodwill messages from partners, including Mr Lawal Abiodun Adeyemi, BL Consulting, and Mr Paul Maduakor, CEO, ProStar Sports International.

They praised the initiative for building a movement and changing lives, one girl at a time.

On his part, Mr Paul Maduakor, CEO, ProStar Sports International said, “I see champions in this room. Girls who will go on to become leaders, athletes, doctors, and innovators. Periods do not define you—your dreams do.”

The Vice Principal, Isolog College, Mrs Ihomuehe Egumah, described the programme as a “legacy moment.

“Today we give our girls what many of us never had: knowledge, support, and dignity, ” she said.

The twin outreach programmes reached out to more than 500 girls and young women, leaving behind not only supplies but new narratives of empowerment.

In order to bridge the gap in accessing hygiene materials, Pad Me A Girl Initiative distributed essential materials which included: sanitary pads; pens and exercise books; menstrual hygiene booklets and referral and access information for the Pad Bank.

“Pad Me A Girl Initiative” is a menstrual health campaign by GATMASH MEDIA, committed to ending period poverty and advancing menstrual equity through: Advocacy; Education; Sanitary product distribution and Sustainable Pad Bank networks.

With a reach of over 2,500 girls and ongoing programmes across Nigeria, the initiative is one of the nation’s most impactful menstrual hygiene campaigns.

The “Pad Me A Girl Initiative” is committed to ending period poverty and advancing menstrual equity through advocacy, education, sanitary product distribution, and sustainable Pad Bank networks.