By Our Assembly Correspondent
.... stakeholders call for inclusion of girls students in private schools to benefit from the programme.
Nasarawa State House of Assembly Joint Committee on Education, Science and Technology, Women Affairs and Health, has organized a public hearing on a Bill for a Law to provides for free Menstrual Hygiene Products for Girls Students in Nasarawa State Public Schools by Nasarawa State Government and other matters Connected Therewith.
Rt. Hon. Danladi Jatau, the Speaker of the House while declaring the Public hearing open today in Lafia said is to get inputs from relevant stakeholders on the proposed bill.
Speaker Jatau, who was represented at the event by the Chairman, House Committee on Health and member representing Akwanga North, Hon. Larry Ven-Bawa encouraged stakeholders to contribute positively for the success of the bill.
The Speaker said that the bill would address the challenges of menstrual hygiene of girls in public schools in the State.
Jatau commended Gov. Abdullahi Sule for his interest and promoting girl-child education in the State.
Hon. Larry Ven Bawa, who wore a double cap at the event as Chairman of the occasion urged participants to bring positive suggestions and contributions that will help in coming out with a clean bill that will improve the health and wellbeing of the girls students in public schools.
He assured of the committee's readiness to use all the positive recommendations submitted by the stakeholders and come out with a good law for the betterment of girls students and parents in the State.
" Menstrual hygiene is a right of every girl child, therefore there is the need to have a law that provide free menstrual hygiene products for them"
Ven- Bawa said that the bill will address issue of stigmatization of female students during menstruation, availability of menstrual hygiene products in schools, avoid distraction of girls students during menstruation in school and to guarantee sustainability of the program.
On his part, the Co-Chairman of the Joint Committee, Rt. Hon. Abel Yakubu Bala and member representing, Nasarawa Eggon West appreciated participants for honouring the invitation to contribute to the process of the bill.
He also urged them to bring inputs that will lead to the success of the bill.
Hon Abel, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Education, Science and Technology, assured of the House readiness to have a clean bill at the end of the day.
On her part, the Commissioner, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Aisha Rufai Ibrahim commended the assembly and the sponsor of the bill Hon. Hajarat Danyaro Ibrahim for coming up with the bill that would address challenges of menstrual hygiene among girls students in public schools in the State.
She assured of the ministry's full support to the initiative.
The Commissioner called on stakeholders to collaborate for the betterment of girls students and out of school girls in the State.
She appealed to the Committee to provide a role for the ministry of education in the bill for its effective implementation
" I will like to suggest that the ministry be in charge of procurement, distribution and monitoring of the products in schools" she said.
She said some of the challenges girls students faced included risk of infection, distraction during school hour among others.
Representative of Commissioner Ministry of Education, Yakubu Namo Sylvester commended the Sponsored of the bill, Hon Danyaro describing it as timely.
He disclosed that there are over Fifty Four Thousand Girls Students across public schools in the State.
The Commissioner suggested severe punishment for whoever that diverted the products or engage in corrupt practices.
On her part, representative of National Council of Women Society Grace Ogah emphasized on the importance of stakeholders collaboration to mobilize resources for the success of the programme as well as ensuring high standard and quality of the products.
Dr Shamau Umar, representative of Rector Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic recommended the involvement of partners like, Olam farm, CBN, Local Governments and others to help in financing the program and for its sustainability.
Others who contributed suggested the sensitization of girls students at the rural areas, involvement of school authority, Ministry of Health, Education, Women Affairs, NSUBEB for the successful implementation of the programme and its sustainability.
They called for the provision of toilets for both boys and girls, water, pants for the girls, reusable pads, proper disposal site, adequate distribution of the products in the school.
They also suggested training of girls on how to produce local pads as a way of sustaining the programme.
It would be reported that the public hearing was well attended with Commissioner, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon Aisha Ibrahim, Representative of Commissioner, Ministry of Education and Rector, College of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Dr Yahaya Mai Kaffi and Representative of Rector, Isa Mustapha Agwai 11, Polytechnic Lafia.
Others are Representative of Nasarawa State Basic Education Board, Representative of National Council of Women Society, Representative of Nasarawa State Menstrual Hygiene Focal Person among others all made their inputs with the suggestion of involvements of girls in private schools to benefit from the scheme.
