On Menstrual Hygiene Day 2025, observed under the global theme “Together for a #PeriodFriendlyWorld,” PLAN Health Advocacy and Development Foundation (PLAN Foundation) reaffirms its commitment to advancing menstrual health as a core issue of public health, gender equality, and human rights.

This year’s theme is a call to action for governments, institutions, civil society, and individuals to eliminate the silence, stigma, and systemic neglect surrounding menstruation. A truly #PeriodFriendlyWorld is one where every woman or girl who menstruates regardless of disability, socioeconomic status, or geographic location can manage their menstrual health with dignity, safety, and full access to information and resources.

With over two decades of experience working at the intersection of health, development, and advocacy, PLAN Foundation has continuously highlighted the critical role menstrual health plays in the empowerment and well-being of women and girls. Yet in many parts of Nigeria, menstruation remains a barrier to education, health, and social participation, particularly for those living with disabilities.

Menstrual health is not merely a personal concern it is a societal issue that profoundly affects equality, opportunity, and sustainable development. For girls and women with disabilities, the challenges are even greater, ranging from inaccessible facilities and inadequate, non-inclusive information to social stigma that leads to isolation. At PLAN FOUNDATION, we believe that addressing these barriers is crucial to creating truly inclusive and equitable communities.

Therefore, we call on the Nigerian government, development partners, and community leaders to:

• Integrate menstrual health into national and state health strategies, with a focus on vulnerable and marginalized populations including young girls in-school and out-of-school as well as persons with disabilities.
• Promote improved availability and affordability of menstrual health products and commodities towards removing barriers to access to these essential products.
• Ensure consistent funding for menstrual health initiatives, including the local production and distribution of affordable, Eco-friendly menstrual products.
• Upgrade WASH infrastructure in schools, health facilities, and public spaces to meet universal accessibility standards.
• Implement disability-sensitive training for educators, health workers, and caregivers to better support menstrual health needs in diverse contexts.
• Promote evidence-based awareness campaigns that dismantle cultural taboos and promote open, informed dialogue across communities.

PLAN Foundation recognizes the fact stress that menstrual health must be treated not as an isolated issue, but as part of a broader commitment to sexual and reproductive health, education, and gender equity. We are immensely grateful to AmplifyChange for funding support for two projects currently being implemented by PLAN Foundation towards promoting the sexual and reproductive health rights of young girls and of women with disabilities respectively. AmplifyChange supports the advocacy activities of civil society organizations in Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) through grant awards, organizational strengthening and knowledge for advocacy.

This includes the Accelerating Community Commitment towards Ensuring Safer Services for the Reproductive Health of Women and Girls in Oyo State (ACCESS) Project, PLAN Foundation targets young secondary school girls in Oyo State with information on life skills as well as comprehensive sexuality education through iChoose Peer Educators as a strategy for preventing unplanned pregnancy and unsafe abortion.

Through the Eliminating Multiple Barriers to Sexual and Reproductive Health Services among Young Girls and Women with Disabilities in Oyo State, Nigeria (EMBASSY) Project, PLAN Foundation established a strong multi-sectoral movement committed to, advocating for and ensuring increased access to inclusive and disability friendly sexual and reproductive health services among women with disabilities in Oyo State.

Achieving a period-friendly world means transforming how society values and supports those who menstruate from policies and budgets to infrastructure and education systems.

As the world marks Menstrual Hygiene Day, PLAN Foundation urges all stakeholders to act with urgency and empathy. Menstrual health is a matter of dignity, rights, and justice and no one should be left behind.

PLAN Foundation is a member of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC), the World Patients Alliance (WPA), the International AIDS Society (IAS), the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+), the Stop TB Partnership, the International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations (IAPO), the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (IUATLD), the Global Health Council (GHC), as well as various other relevant regional and global networks, movements, and professional associations aligned with its vision of a Nigeria where the individual, family, and community are adequately empowered to protect themselves against poverty, underdevelopment, and the spread of diseases.

For more details on PLAN Foundation, engage us on our social media accounts on
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Ifedayo Osemwegie
Advocacy, Strategic Communication and Media Officer
+2348038320421
ifedayo@planfoundation.org.ng