By Adeyinka Adeniran
Teens Smart Builders Initiative (TESMI), a Nigerian youth-led nonprofit, has launched the “My Period Story Essay Competition 2026”, a creative advocacy competition aimed at commemorating Menstrual Hygiene Day (May 28, 2026) and amplifying the findings of its landmark Bleeding in Silence research.
The competition invites secondary school students across Nigeria to submit entries in three creative categories – Essay, Poetry, and Painting – with a total prize pool of N300,000.
The competition is rooted in TESMI’s groundbreaking Bleeding in Silence study, which surveyed 200 adolescent girls aged 10-18 across four secondary schools in Lagos and Ogun States.
The study revealed alarming statistics on menstrual health, including 73.1% of girls unable to afford sanitary pads every month, 81.5% with no access to private changing spaces in school, and 55.6% experiencing teasing or bullying related to their period.
According to Oluwafemi Adeshina, Executive Director of TESMI, “When we went into those schools in May 2025 for our Pad a Girl outreach on Menstrual Hygiene Day, we were not prepared for what the girls would tell us. Their stories of hiding stained uniforms, missing class, managing pain in silence, and being bullied simply for bleeding became the foundation of our Bleeding in Silence research.”
He said the My Period Story Competition aims to transform raw data into human stories, centering girls as powerful advocates for their own rights. Winners will be invited to become Menstrual Hygiene Advocates, co-create the Menstrual Justice Charter, and be featured during Menstrual Hygiene Day 2026 celebrations.
He called on all secondary school students, particularly adolescent girls, to submit their entries before the April 30, 2026 deadline via: (tinyurl.com/bwdcreative).
Adeshina explained that the competition’s thematic focus areas include: access to clean water and sanitary facilities, proper menstrual hygiene management, combating period stigma and bullying, educational programs on menstrual health, and providing sanitary pads for girls.
TESMI’s #BleedWithDignity campaign is part of a broader movement to prioritise menstrual health as a fundamental human right. The organisation has supported over 3,000 adolescents with SRHR education, life skills programming, and menstrual health advocacy across Lagos and Ogun States.
The competition’s entry categories include Essay, Poetry, and Painting, with a total prize pool of ₦300,000. The Star Prize winner will receive ₦50,000, the First Runner-Up ₦30,000, and the Second Runner-Up ₦20,000.
The TESMI’s Executive Director emphasises that the competition is an opportunity for girls to share their stories and advocate for their rights. “We invite every secondary school girl in Nigeria to step forward, write, paint, recite and be heard,” she says.
He noted that the competition is open to secondary school students across Nigeria, as he called on teachers, school administrators, development partners, and media organisations to amplify the opportunity and nominate eligible students.
Menstrual hygiene is a health right, an education right, and a dignity right, yet for millions of Nigerian girls, it remains a source of shame, fear, and school absence. TESMI’s My Period Story competition aims to break the silence around menstruation and promote menstrual dignity.
The organisation’s efforts have already garnered support from key stakeholders, including the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, who emphasises that “no girl should have to choose between her education and her period”.
As Nigeria strives to achieve gender equality and empower its girls, initiatives like the My Period Story competition are crucial in driving change. By sharing their stories, girls can help break the stigma around menstruation and promote a culture of dignity and respect.
The My Period Story competition is a testament to TESMI’s commitment to menstrual advocacy and its determination to create a more equitable society where every girl can reach her full potential.
TESMI’s #BleedWithDignity campaign is a call to action, urging Nigerians to join the movement and support policy reforms that promote menstrual health and dignity. Together, we can create a Nigeria where menstrual health is a fundamental right, not a privilege.
