Lagos, Nigeria — Teens Smart Builder Initiative (TESMI Nigeria), a Nigerian non-governmental organisation registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission under RC 8217610, has opened applications for 50 girls attending private secondary schools in Lagos State to participate in co-drafting a Menstrual Justice Charter. The recruitment is part of the organisation's project titled #BleedWithDignity: Centering Girls' Voices for Menstrual Policy Reform in Lagos. Applications close on 21 September 2026.
The project focuses on menstrual health and hygiene, menstrual dignity, girls' rights, school water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), access to menstrual support, stigma reduction, menstrual education and policy advocacy. TESMI Nigeria said the charter is intended to carry girls' own experiences and priorities into advocacy conversations on menstrual health policy in Lagos State.
Girls to shape charter content
Selected participants will contribute their experiences, priorities and ideas to the charter development process. According to the organisation, the 50 participants will take part in structured sessions that feed directly into the document, which is expected to inform how menstrual health is addressed in policy and advocacy spaces.
"Girls should not only be recipients of menstrual-health interventions; their experiences and priorities should inform advocacy," said Oluwatosin Adeshina, Community Engagement Officer at TESMI Nigeria.
The organisation stated that participation is voluntary and subject to applicable eligibility, safeguarding, and consent and assent requirements. Parents and guardians of selected applicants will be engaged as part of the process.
Eligibility and application process
Eligible applicants are girls currently enrolled in private secondary schools in Lagos State. Interested candidates can apply through the official application form, which is available online. The application deadline is 21 September 2026. TESMI Nigeria said only complete applications submitted before the deadline will be considered.
Further details on eligibility criteria, including the applicable age range, and the specific format and timeline of participation sessions are available from the organisation on request.
Focus on private schools
TESMI Nigeria said the focus on private secondary schools responds to a gap in current attention, noting that menstrual health conversations often assume girls in private schools already have adequate access to support and information. The organisation said the charter process is intended to test that assumption by asking the girls themselves.
The Menstrual Justice Charter is positioned as a rights-based advocacy document. TESMI Nigeria said its longer-term aim is to contribute to stronger menstrual health and WASH standards across private secondary schools in Lagos State, rather than isolated efforts by individual schools.
About TESMI Nigeria
Teens Smart Builder Initiative (TESMI Nigeria) is a Nigerian non-governmental organisation working on adolescent girls' participation, menstrual health and related advocacy. The organisation is registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission under RC 8217610. Its #BleedWithDignity project is implemented with support from AmplifyChange.
