It takes a certain kind of courage to walk into a university auditorium and start a conversation that many adults still avoid. On Friday May 29, 2026, the City Boys Movement did exactly that — bringing hundreds of sanitary pads, a powerful message, and a reminder that period poverty is a problem that belongs to all of us to solve.
 |
| The City Boys Movement, Anambra State chapter, visited Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka on Friday to mark the 2026 World Menstrual Hygiene Day with a sensitisation exercise and sanitary pad distribution. Photo: Punch Newspapers |
What Happened at UNIZIK
The City Boys Movement, Anambra State chapter, sensitised female students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, on menstrual hygiene and distributed hundreds of sanitary pads to students of the institution. The distribution took place at the main auditorium of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, UNIZIK Awka campus, on Friday, as part of activities to commemorate the 2026 World Menstrual Hygiene Day.
For many of the female students in attendance, this was not just a free product — it was a statement that their health matters and that their struggles around menstruation deserve to be spoken about openly and without shame.
 |
| Anambra State Women Leader of the City Boys Movement, Adaora Soludo, addressed female students at UNIZIK during the World Menstrual Hygiene Day sensitisation exercise. |
The Woman Behind the Message
The Anambra State Women Leader of the City Boys Movement, Adaora Soludo, said the gesture is aimed at empowering young women and promoting menstrual health awareness, with the goal of eradicating period poverty and supporting girls' education. Soludo, who is also the Founder of the Gloria Foundation, explained that the World Menstrual Hygiene Day commemoration is designed to address the challenges of menstruation, including stigmatisation and harmful practices.
Her words in the auditorium carried weight — not just as a leader but as a woman speaking directly to other women about experiences that society too often forces into silence.
Her Message to the Students
Soludo told the students: "Some even miss classes and important activities because of menstrual challenges. This is why programmes like this are very important. We must continue to educate, encourage, and support our girls so they can live healthy, confident, and productive lives. Menstrual hygiene is not only about using sanitary pads; it is also about cleanliness, self-care, confidence, and proper health education."
She added: "To all the young ladies here today, I encourage you to always take your personal hygiene seriously. Maintain proper cleanliness, change sanitary pads regularly, eat healthy meals, drink enough water, and never hesitate to seek medical attention when necessary. Your health matters, your dreams matter, and your future matters."
Why This Day Matters
World Menstrual Hygiene Day, observed annually on May 28 and coordinated by WASH United with support from UNICEF, aims to raise awareness of the challenges many women and girls face in managing menstruation safely and with dignity. The annual campaign encourages action to address stigma, improve access to menstrual products and information, and strengthen water, sanitation and hygiene services.
Globally, 500 million women and girls worldwide do not have what they need to manage their periods safely, hygienically and without shame — due to a combination of lack of access to period products, lack of education about menstruation, and inadequate water and sanitation infrastructure.
What the City Boys Movement did at UNIZIK on Friday was small in scale but enormous in meaning. In a country where period poverty quietly keeps girls out of classrooms every single month, showing up with education and sanitary pads is not charity — it is action.
Period Poverty Is Everyone's Problem
The fact that it was the City Boys Movement — a youth group — leading this conversation at a university campus sends its own message. Menstrual health is not a women's issue to be handled quietly behind closed doors. It is a human issue that requires men, women, institutions, and communities to stand together and say: no girl should miss school, lose confidence, or suffer in silence because of her period.
That conversation started at UNIZIK on Friday. And it needs to keep going.
For the latest health news and community updates, follow Mercy Buzz Hub — your number one source for global sports and entertainment updates.
.png)