No Pads, No Progress: Girls Deserve Better than Period Poverty
By Susan Adeyeye, Social Impact Director, Dear Ambitious Girl
As the daughter of Nigerian immigrants, I’ve witnessed firsthand the privilege of access and resources young women often enjoy abroad. Yet, across the ocean, millions of girls face a reality shaped by an unavoidable biological process—period poverty. In Nigeria, girls aged 12-18 face heightened vulnerability, as they struggle with limited access to sanitary products and inadequate menstrual hygiene management.
Recognizing this global issue, Dear Ambitious Girl, a New York-based nonprofit, is making Nigeria its first stop in the fight against period poverty.
Bukola and Joy, two teenage girls from Ekiti State, Nigeria, who shared their stories with me, vividly described the harsh realities of period poverty. Bukola, just 15, dreams of becoming a medical doctor and serves as an assistant senior girl at her school. Joy, also in her senior year, aspires to be a health technician. Their ambitions are bold and inspiring, but there is a cruel irony in their pursuit of careers in healthcare—they are held back by a challenge rooted in biology and worsened by systemic neglect: period poverty.
For these bright young women, the shame and indignity they endure during their menstrual cycles cast a long shadow over their aspirations. Despite their courage and determination, the barriers they face make their dreams feel painfully out of reach.
What Is Period Poverty?
Period poverty is more than the inability to afford sanitary products. It encompasses the lack of menstrual hygiene education, access to healthcare, and social support during menstruation. In Nigeria, the exorbitant cost of sanitary pads forces girls like Bukola and Joy to rely on tissue paper, rags, or old clothing—solutions that are not only uncomfortable but also detrimental to their health.
Bukola, for example, can only afford to buy pads to last her one cycle, once every three months, causing her to go through makeshift supplies quickly, experiencing pain and vomiting along the way. Joy, unable to predict her cycle, often finds herself unexpectedly staining her uniform during class. School nurses, while supportive, can only provide one or two pads—far from what is needed to manage an entire cycle.
The Cost of Stigma and Missed Days
The consequences of period poverty are devastating. One in ten Nigerian girls miss school due to menstruation, losing up to 24% of school days annually. This absenteeism exacerbates the education gap in a country where many girls are already struggling to complete secondary school, limiting their opportunities and reinforcing systemic inequalities.
For Bukola and Joy, the solution is clear: increased access to menstrual products and education.
The Wellness Cycle: A Path Forward
Dear Ambitious Girl’s The Wellness Cycle initiative is tackling period poverty head-on. Focused on promoting wellness, mental health, and menstrual equity, the program will launch in Ekiti State this January, reaching nearly 500 girls across four schools. We will distribute menstrual and mental health care packages and host a half-day curriculum to educate and empower these young women.
Our efforts have garnered support from influential leaders, including the Oba of Ise, Ekiti, and government officials, who recognize the transformative potential of addressing period poverty. These care packages, paired with education, are not just about meeting an immediate need—they are about fostering dignity, empowerment, and opportunity.
A Dear Ambitious Girl
When hearing stories like Bukola and Joy’s, I’m often reminded that menstrual equity is not a privilege; it is a fundamental right. And, working in social impact, my job is to recognize and internalize that the privileges I hold are not shared by many young women around the world. I envision a future where menstrual products are readily available in schools, where reproductive health is part of the curriculum, and where the stigma surrounding menstruation is a thing of the past. Ending period poverty isn’t just about addressing an immediate crisis—it’s a powerful investment in millions of girls’ futures.
To be an ambitious woman, I know that I can not pave the path forward alone. Ambition thrives within the community. Join Dear Ambitious Girl in uplifting a generation of girls to unleash their full potential, breaking barriers and restoring dignity along the way. Together, let’s build a world where no girl is held back by something as natural as her period.
