As the world marked the International Day of the Girl Child today, October 11, 2025, PSI Nigeria joined millions across the globe in celebrating the strength, resilience, and leadership of girls.
This year’s theme, “The Girl I Am, The Change I Lead: Girls on the Frontlines of Period Poverty,” underscores the urgent need to address menstrual health challenges that continue to limit girls’ education, confidence, and participation in society.
Established by the United Nations in 2011, the International Day of the Girl Child is a call to action for gender equality and the empowerment of young girls everywhere.
For PSI Nigeria, the commemoration aligns closely with its mission to promote sexual and reproductive health, end period poverty, and ensure that every girl can manage her menstruation with dignity.
Through community engagement programs, health education, and partnerships with schools and local organizations, PSI Nigeria continues to tackle misinformation and stigma surrounding menstruation.
The organization believes that empowering girls with knowledge and access to menstrual hygiene products is key to helping them thrive both in school and in their communities.
In several states across Nigeria, PSI Nigeria has initiated school-based menstrual health education sessions, where adolescent girls are taught about hygiene, body awareness, and self-esteem. The sessions also encourage boys and male teachers to become allies in ending stigma.
For 15-year-old student from Lagos who spoke with PSI Nigeria champion on menstrual awareness workshops, said,
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“Until now, I used to hide whenever I was on my period because I was afraid my classmates would laugh,” she said. “But after engagement with PSI champion, I learned that menstruation is normal, not shameful. Now I even help other girls understand how to take care of themselves.”
Health experts emphasise that period poverty—the lack of access to menstrual products, education, and sanitation—remains a major barrier to gender equality. It affects millions of girls across Nigeria, particularly those in rural and low-income communities.
A reproductive health advocate said that, breaking the silence is the first step toward change.
“We cannot achieve gender equity if girls are held back by something as natural as menstruation,” she said. “Every girl deserves to feel confident and supported. That’s why initiatives like PSI Nigeria’s menstrual health campaign are so important—they give girls both a voice and a choice.”
As PSI Nigeria continues its advocacy under the campaign hashtags #InternationalDayoftheGirlChild2025, #GirlChildDay2025, #DearFutureMe, and #LeadingChangeforMenstrualHealth, the organization reaffirms its commitment to empowering girls to lead change in their communities.
Because when girls understand their worth and health, they don’t just change their own lives—they change the world.
#PSINigeria4Girls #InternationalDayoftheGirlChild2025
