An Art-Based Menstrual Health Education Empowers Adolescent Girls in Kano

In Wudil and Dala local government areas (LGAs) of Kano state, Five Cowries’ Hubs launched an initiative that empowers young adolescent girls with essential communication skills, especially regarding their sexual and reproductive health. Wasiu Quadri, the Director of Programmes at the Five Cowries Art Education Initiative program, highlighted that the organisation uses art to educate the community and improve their knowledge and literacy.

The organisation is currently partnering with Nigeria Health Watch on the ‘Furani Program’—an art-based initiative promoting health awareness among young girls and women of reproductive age in local communities through the Global Policy and Advocacy Project. The hubs are spread across Dala, Ghari, and Wudil, and these sessions empower at least 25 young girls at each location.

Using arts and crafts

During Nigeria Health Watch’s visit to one of the hubs, Maimuna Sulaiman, a facilitator at Wudil, explained that their focus this month is on menstrual health, safety, and hygiene. The girls learn using art. This will help the girls use their acquired knowledge and skills to educate and communicate with their parents, peers, and the broader community.

Image credit: Nigeria Health Watch

“What we do here is to create awareness about the processes of the menstrual cycle that women experience every month. Most women do not know how to take proper care of themselves when they are experiencing menstruation. For young girls at the early stage and sometimes including the elderly, this can result in infections and other reproductive health challenges,” Maimuna said.

She added that sometimes women don’t understand what’s happening to them while experiencing premenstrual symptoms such as cramps. “We teach them how to manage these symptoms. For example, gently pressing the stomach with warm water can provide relief.”

Empowered by their newfound knowledge, the girls are encouraged to become health ambassadors, sharing their insights with peers and family members. Maimuna explained, ‘We employ creative art techniques, using thread and needle to embroider key messages on fabric, making information more accessible and engaging.’ One poignant example in Hausa reads: ‘Wayo! Chikina yana kara yi mani ciwo’ – translating to ‘Oh! I am having severe stomach pain again’ – a tool for expression and education.

Image credit: Nigeria Health Watch

“The letters in red represent the blood spots during menstruation, the letter in green implies the fertility period where a girl can get pregnant, while the other letters in black represent normal days. All the inscriptions try to explain the menstrual cycle of the female reproductive system. This helps to enhance learning and better comprehension of all they need to know on menstrual hygiene, how to track their respective dates, and how to take better care of themselves.”

Parents as key players

Amina Aliyu, Women’s Development Officer at the Women’s Centre, offered advice on amplifying the project’s impact. “it is very important for parents to note the dates their children are menstruating because most of these girls attend school, so they must be supported with the things they need in case they start menstruating when at school to avoid blood stain and protect their dignity.”

Amina also highlighted the importance of open communication between children and their parents about menstruation. “The children must inform their parents too before time. Previously, we engaged in wrong menstrual hygiene practices, but now we have access to better knowledge and safe materials like sanitary pads, remedies, or drugs to keep young girls informed, comfortable, relieved, and healthy during menstruation. We are engaging with both the daughters and the parents because the daughters are often inexperienced.”

Maimuna Sulaiman highlighted that the program focuses on empowering girls with information about menstrual health, safety, and hygiene. This supports the broader goal of strengthening community-based healthcare and ensuring individuals receive appropriate care at all levels of the healthcare systems. By educating these girls, the program not only addresses their immediate health needs but also promotes equitable access to healthcare information.

Image credit: Nigeria Health Watch

Nationwide adolescent-friendly SRHR programs are key

The Furani program aligns with the Government of Nigeria’s plan to revitalise the healthcare sector by amplifying citizen-led voices through the 4-point agenda, specifically the second pillar, which aims to build an efficient, equitable, and high-quality health system by promoting health education among young girls in local communities.

While Nigeria Health Watch is actively collaborating with Five Cowries on the Furani program in Wudil, Ghari and Dalla LGAs, which is just a fraction of the state’s population – it is imperative to facilitate and incorporate structural and sustainable adolescent-friendly programs in primary healthcare centres (PHC) to help address the needs of women and adolescent girls, especially regarding menstrual hygiene improvement, to boost their sexual and reproductive rights as well as their overall health outcomes.