By Destiny Obinna
As the world marks the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child, the Founder of Pad Me A Girl Empowerment Foundation, Theresa Moses, has called for urgent investment in menstrual health and girls’ education, warning that period poverty can deepen the vulnerabilities that expose girls to early marriage.
Moses urged governments, schools, corporate organisations and development partners to establish and sustain sanitary pad banks in schools and underserved communities, saying access to menstrual products is essential to protecting girls’ dignity, supporting school attendance and advancing their rights.
The International Day of the Girl Child, marked on October 11, has this year’s theme, “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights!”
Since its establishment on April 3, 2025, the foundation has reached more than 15,000 girls and women across Abuja, Ogun, Benue and Nasarawa states through sanitary pad distribution, provision of writing materials, menstrual health education and community outreach.
Its interventions have extended to vulnerable communities and internally displaced persons’ camps in Area 1 Durumi, Abuja; Ortese in Benue State; and Kadarko in Nasarawa State.
However, the foundation said supplies of reusable sanitary pads had reportedly been exhausted in supported communities across the three states, prompting fresh calls for donations and partnerships to replenish stocks and sustain its interventions.
Moses stressed the need for consistent support to ensure vulnerable girls could access menstrual health services and remain in school.
How period poverty deepens vulnerability
When girls cannot afford sanitary pads, managing menstruation safely and confidently can become difficult. Some miss school or withdraw from learning because of embarrassment, stigma or inadequate facilities.
Repeated interruptions to education can reduce their chances of completing school and achieving financial independence. In communities already affected by poverty, gender inequality and harmful social norms, these disadvantages can compound pressures that push some families towards early marriage.
Although period poverty does not automatically lead to child marriage, it can contribute to the wider inequalities that leave girls more vulnerable to the practice.
The foundation argued that menstrual health must therefore be integrated into broader efforts to keep girls in school, protect their rights and prevent child marriage.
Foundation seeks expansion of school pad banks
Through its Pad Bank Movement, launched during World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2025, the foundation promotes access to sanitary pads alongside menstrual health education.
The initiative encourages schools to maintain readily accessible supplies so that girls who cannot afford menstrual products are not left without support.
It is seeking wider adoption of school-based pad banks, regular replenishment of supplies and partnerships with sanitary product manufacturers, businesses and philanthropists.
The foundation also advocates age-appropriate menstrual health education for boys, encouraging them to understand menstruation, reject period shaming and respect girls’ dignity.
It said engaging boys in these conversations could help challenge stigma, discourage ridicule and create school environments where girls can learn without fear or embarrassment.
Appeal for sustained support
With sanitary pad supplies reportedly depleted in supported communities and IDP camps in Abuja, Benue and Nasarawa, Pad Me A Girl Empowerment Foundation appealed for donations of sanitary pads, financial contributions and long-term partnerships.
It also called on governments and education authorities to support school pad banks, improve access to affordable menstrual products and strengthen education and child-protection measures addressing the wider factors contributing to early marriage.
The foundation maintained that meaningful progress on girls’ rights requires practical interventions that reach vulnerable and underserved communities, rather than relying on awareness campaigns alone.
Pad Me A Girl Empowerment Foundation
Pad Me A Girl Empowerment Foundation is a non-profit organisation committed to advancing menstrual health, hygiene awareness, education and girl-child empowerment, particularly among girls and women in underserved and vulnerable communities.
