…As Foundation Calls for Expanded School Pad Banks to Support Vulnerable Girls
As the world marks the International Day of the Girl Child on October 11, 2026, Theresa Moses, Founder, Pad Me A Girl Empowerment Foundation, is calling for sustained investment in menstrual health and girls’ education, warning that period poverty can deepen the vulnerabilities that expose girls to early marriage.
Under this year’s theme, “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights!”, the Foundation is urging governments, schools, corporate organisations and development partners to establish and sustain Pad Banks in schools and underserved communities.
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.
The interventions have extended to vulnerable communities and internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in Area 1 Durumi, Abuja; Ortese, Benue State; and Kadarko, Nasarawa State.
However, reusable sanitary pad supplies have reportedly run out in supported communities across the three states, prompting renewed calls for partnerships to replenish stocks and sustain the Foundation’s work.
Moses emphasised the importance of continued support in expanding access to menstrual health services and educational opportunities for vulnerable girls.
*How Period Poverty Increases Girls’ Vulnerability*
When girls cannot afford sanitary pads, some struggle to manage menstruation safely and confidently. Others may miss school or withdraw from learning because of embarrassment, stigma or inadequate facilities.
Repeated disruption to education can weaken girls’ prospects of completing school and achieving financial independence. In communities where poverty, gender inequality and harmful social norms persist, these difficulties can compound the pressures that push some families towards early marriage.
Although a lack of sanitary pads does not automatically lead to child marriage, period poverty can contribute to the wider disadvantages that leave girls more vulnerable to it.
Addressing menstrual health must therefore form part of broader efforts to keep girls in school, protect their rights and prevent child marriage.
*Pad Banks and the Role of the Boy Child*
The Foundation’s Pad Bank Movement, launched during World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2025, promotes access to sanitary pads alongside menstrual health education.
The initiative encourages schools to maintain accessible supplies so that girls who cannot afford menstrual products are not left without support. The Foundation is calling for the expansion of school-based Pad Banks, regular replenishment of supplies and partnerships with sanitary product manufacturers, businesses and philanthropists.
It also advocates age-appropriate menstrual health education for boys, encouraging them to understand menstruation, reject period shaming and respect girls’ dignity.
Engaging boys in these conversations can help challenge stigma, discourage ridicule and create school environments where girls can learn without fear or embarrassment.
*A Call for Sustained Action*
With supplies reportedly depleted in supported IDP communities in Abuja, Benue and Nasarawa, Pad Me A Girl Empowerment Foundation is appealing for donations of sanitary pads, financial contributions and long-term partnerships to sustain its interventions.
The Foundation is also urging governments and education authorities to support school Pad Banks, improve access to affordable menstrual products and strengthen education and child-protection measures that address the wider factors contributing to early marriage.
As the world focuses on girls’ rights and opportunities, the Foundation maintains that meaningful progress requires practical interventions that reach girls in vulnerable and underserved communities.
*SUPPORT THE FOUNDATION*
Help Pad Me A Girl Empowerment Foundation replenish sanitary pad supplies and sustain menstrual health interventions for girls and women in vulnerable communities.
*Account Name:* PAD ME A GIRL EMPOWERMENT FOUNDATION
*Account Number:* 1988220123
*Bank:* Access Bank
*About 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.
