Women in Borno Use Sand, Ashes in place of Sanitary Pad

Founder of Complete Care and Aid Foundation, Hajiya Aisha Wakil, has revealed that Boko Haram insurgency has made sanitary pad unavailable to many women in troubled Borno State.



ThisDay reports that Wakil, popularly called Mama Boko Haram revealed that many women who are now victims of insurgency have resorted to using sand and ashes in place of sanitary pad during their monthly menstrual cycle.

“One of the effects of insurgency is that women and girls are using sand and ashes in place of sanitary pad for their menses and this is unhygienic and unhealthy for women and girls.

Menstrual pad is a luxury for poor women in Borno. Strange as it may sound but poor women and girls in community and IDP camps are still using rags filled with sand, or ashes as an alternative for sanitary napkins during their menstrual period, thus exposing themselves more to vaginal infections.”