General News
World Menstrual Day: Over 1,500 Inmates Reached as NCoS Leads Menstrual Hygiene Campaign Across Nigeria
By Iyojo Ameh
In a powerful show of commitment to menstrual dignity and the rights of women in custody, the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has marked World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2025 with a nationwide outreach campaign that reached over 1,500 female inmates across more than 60 custodial centres.
With the global theme, “Together, We Can Break the Silence and End the Stigma – Menstrual Health for All,” the NCoS, through its Gender Unit, led a coordinated campaign under the leadership of Controller General of Corrections, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, and Assistant Controller of Corrections (ACC) Sheyindemi Adenike, PhD, Head of the Gender Unit.
The campaign featured a combination of menstrual hygiene education, stigma reduction, and distribution of essential sanitary items, including sanitary pads, tissue paper, and detergents.
In addition to the work at Suleja, the NCoS Gender Unit facilitated similar interventions nationwide. Notably, Hope Behind Bars Africa played a leading role in supporting several custodial centres, including those in Abuja, while Empower Women Africa (EWA) supported initiatives at the Kirikiri Female Custodial Centre in Lagos and other locations, ensuring wide-reaching impact.
The initiative reinforced the global message of World Menstrual Hygiene Day, celebrated every May 28, which calls attention to the urgent need for accessible menstrual products, health education, and the dismantling of stigma around menstruation—especially for vulnerable and underserved populations such as incarcerated women.
The Nigerian Correctional Service’s proactive approach is part of broader correctional reform efforts aimed at upholding human dignity, public health, and gender equity within its facilities.
