Civil society and social justice advocates are demanding that Parliament treat menstrual hygiene as a fundamental human right through the proposed Menstrual Health Rights Bill, which calls for free access to safe sanitary products in public institutions, similar to the national condom distribution programme, reports The Citizen.
Despite existing progressive policies, such as no VAT on menstrual products and the Sanitary Dignity Implementation Framework, which sees pads handed out freely by government to female pupils in no-fee paying, special and farm schools, they say it is not enough.
Nonkululo Malawana, founder and executive of I Menstruate, told Parliament at a meeting last week that the current government is “too inconsistent to rely on”, calling for support for the Bill.
She said research showed that 83% of schoolgirls lack consistent access to menstrual hygiene products at home and at school, resulting in one in four girls missing school every month.
The proposal called for free sanitary pads in public institutions and other public spaces, including some private areas.
The NSFAS gap
Candice Chirwa, a period poverty activist, said there is an opportunity to ring-fence the interest universities earn on National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funds, and that this money could support student wellness and reproductive health services.
A presentation by the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities confirmed that all NSFAS beneficiaries receive monthly stipends of R300 to buy toiletries and menstrual products, apart from the rest of what the bursary offers.
But Chirwa told The Citizen that current legislation was inadequate.
“It was encouraging to see that conversations regarding the Menstrual Health Rights Bill were seriously considered, and that MPs were taken to task … to implement more effective, sustainable programmes,” she said later.
“The Bill is the necessary fix to move from ‘charity-based’ projects to a legally enforceable system that mandates access to products, sanitation, and healthcare.”
Nokuzola Ndwandwe, founder of Team Free Sanitary Pads, also called for stronger legislation, aligned with those of countries like Scotland, Kenya, and New Zealand, to ensure universal access to menstrual products.
Coastal TVET college trains its students to manufacture their own pads to address period poverty, and Professor Ramneek Ahluwalia, CEO of Higher Health, said the aim was to reduce reliance on large companies and empower local production.
He called on Parliament to lead the process through legislation and support for small businesses.
Potentially misplaced funds
Tebogo Letsie, chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training, highlighted mismanagement of resources, urging stricter accountability.
“Funding allocated to provide sanitary products must deliver clear results,” he warned.
This oversight is crucial because the Department of Basic Education and the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities’ sanitary pad programme is reportedly not reaching students effectively.
Distribution is often non-existent or the quantity provided is woefully insufficient, said Chirwa.
Letsie cautioned that poor management could allow the system to be exploited.
Is a Bill necessary?
Sihle Ngubane, from the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training, questioned the need for a new Bill if the right to dignity were already in the Constitution.
He expressed concern, saying South Africa had one of the world’s most progressive constitutions, yet many still lacked access to basic necessities like sanitary pads.
Activists argued that this reason alone justifies the need for a Bill.
The Citizen article – Make menstrual products free: Activists challenge parliament (Open access)
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