Sanitary pads should be treated as essential health items and made affordable for all — especially for women and girls with disabilities. This was the strong message from Aver Akighir, Executive Director of Hope Alive for Possibilities Initiative (HAPI), during a recent empowerment training held in Makurdi, Benue State for 80 Women and Girls with Disabilities.
“If condoms can be subsidized, sanitary pads can too,” Aver declared, decrying the unaffordable cost of menstrual products that many women and girls with disabilities now face. She urged government and stakeholders to take immediate action and introduce inclusive policies that make menstrual products accessible for those most in need.
“Menstrual products are not luxury items,” she said. “They are essential for health, dignity, and the ability to live fully in society.”
Dr. Laadi Swende, a Consultant Family Physician and passionate public health advocate, also addressed participants at the “Dignity in Every Cycle” programme. She emphasized that menstrual hygiene should be recognized as a human rights issue — especially for those living with disabilities.
Drawing from personal experience of growing up with a blind father, Dr. Swende highlighted the social and systemic barriers faced by Women and Girls with Disabilities, from lack of accessible facilities and information to social stigma.
To dismantle these barriers, she advocated for inclusive education, better infrastructure, and more support for caregivers of persons with disabilities. “Everyone deserves dignity — in every cycle,” she said.
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