ACTIVIST CALLS FOR URGENT ACTION TO ACHIEVE MENSTRUAL HEALTH EQUITY

By Precious Mupenzi

• The I-Menstruate Movement is developing a legislative proposal to enshrine menstrual health as a fundamental human right, calling for free products in schools, workplaces, and public spaces, as well as comprehensive menstrual education.
• ⁠30% of menstruating learners in South Africa miss school monthly due to lack of access to menstrual products. Globally, 500 million people face period poverty.
• ⁠A preliminary costing study estimates that each menstruating person would need two packs of pads per month, at R1.19 per pad—providing a practical foundation for national-scale planning and budgeting.

Johannesburg – “We are not just raising awareness—we are building a movement to end period poverty in South Africa.” These were the impassioned words of social justice activist and founder of the I_Menstruate Movement, Tracey Malawana, as she addressed the Education Indaba on Menstrual Health and Sanitary Dignity held in Johannesburg on 30 May 2025.
Convened by the Department of Basic Education, the Education Indaba served as a powerful reminder of the critical role that civil society organisations play in shaping public policy and holding government structures accountable. Among the most vocal advocates was Malawana, who emphasized that partnerships between grassroots movements like I_Menstruate and government are essential for advancing menstrual health equity. Reflecting on her organisation’s journey since presenting to Parliament in November 2024, she called for sustained collaboration and political will to ensure no woman or girl is left behind.
Speaking at the Indaba, Malawana painted a sobering picture of the daily struggles faced by menstruating learners and women in South Africa. She highlighted that 30% of menstruating learners miss school each month due to lack of access to menstrual products. She also cited global statistics, noting that 500 million people worldwide experience period poverty, underscoring the urgency of addressing the crisis.

“This is not just a health issue—it is a human rights crisis,” she said. Citing research conducted by her organisation, she revealed that 78% of girls reported feeling afraid, embarrassed, or helpless during their first period—mainly due to a lack of prior knowledge about menstruation.
Under Malawian’s leadership, the I_Menstruate Movement is actively working to end period poverty through awareness campaigns, advocacy, education, direct service provision, and grassroots mobilisation. Their efforts have moved beyond activism to include engagement with government policy. Following their 2024 presentation to the joint parliamentary committees on basic and higher education, the organisation was tasked with developing a proposed Menstrual Health Equity Bill, supported by a comprehensive costing study.
The proposed bill positions menstrual health as a fundamental human right linked to dignity, education, health, equity, and gender equality. It calls for universal, free access to menstrual products in schools, workplaces, and public facilities. It also advocates for menstrual health education to be integrated into school curricula and for communities to be reached through structured outreach. Furthermore, the bill demands increased government accountability and resource allocation for marginalized and vulnerable groups.
Malawana shared insights from the organisation’s ongoing costing study, which estimates the financial implications of providing menstrual products to learners in public schools and women and girls living below the upper-bound poverty line. Using data from the Department of Basic Education and Statistics South Africa, the study calculates that each menstruating person would require two packs of pads per month. Based on 2021 contract pricing, with each pad costing R1.19, the figures provide policymakers with a credible starting point—although they exclude distribution costs.
She called on government to take decisive, coordinated action. Her proposals included:
•⁠ ⁠Free menstrual products for all who need them.
•⁠ ⁠Comprehensive menstrual health education across communities.
•⁠ ⁠Strengthened mental health and community support systems.
She also urged the improvement of governance in the Sanitary Dignity Programme, as well as cross-departmental collaboration and active youth involvement in shaping policy. In the interim, she proposed ring-fencing budgets for sanitary dignity, standardizing pad pricing across provinces, and strengthening monitoring and evaluation by leveraging existing civil society networks.
Additional recommendations included regular updates to the Minimum Uniform Norms and Standards for School Infrastructure, the creation of a centralised database of school-based menstrual product distributors, and the exemption of all menstrual products from Value Added Tax (VAT) to enhance affordability.
“We’ve come far, but we cannot stop now,” she concluded. “This is a pivotal moment. If we are serious about dignity, equity, and education, we must act with a sense of urgency. Let us also remember that the financial cost of providing menstrual products is low compared to the long-term economic cost of inaction.”