SOUTH AFRICA UNITES TO END PERIOD POVERTY AND PROTECT GIRLS’ RIGHTS

By Precious Mupenzi

•⁠ ⁠An important national dialogue linking menstrual health to child protection, gender equality, and access to basic human rights is currently underway in Sandton.
•⁠ ⁠Participants at the Education Indaba on Menstrual Health and Sanitary Dignity cannot ignore the daily realities that prevent girls from accessing school, feeling safe, and being treated with dignity.
•⁠ ⁠“When girls lack access to menstrual products and safe sanitation, it’s not only a health matter, it becomes a violation of their dignity, a barrier to education, and a child protection concern,” according to the director for programme and policy evaluation at the Department of Social Development, Des Jason.

“We cannot speak of protecting children if we ignore the everyday realities that prevent girls from accessing school, feeling safe, and being treated with dignity,” says the director for programme and policy evaluation at the Department of Social Development, Des Jason.

Addressing stakeholders at the Education Indaba on Menstrual Health and Sanitary Dignity in Sandton today, 30 May 2025, Jason’s remarks open an important national dialogue linking menstrual health to child protection, gender equality, and access to basic human rights.

Hosted by the Department of Basic Education in partnership with other key stakeholders, the Indaba takes place during Child Protection Month and in observance of World Menstrual Hygiene Day, commemorated annually on 28 May.

This coordinated platform is a direct response to resolutions adopted by three parliamentary portfolio committees mandating the Department of Basic Education to lead a government-wide approach to promote universal access to menstrual health and sanitary dignity.

Placing dignity at the heart of development

Jason stresses that menstrual health is far more than a biological issue; it is a matter of justice, dignity, and protection.

“When girls lack access to menstrual products and safe sanitation, it’s not only a health matter, it becomes a violation of their dignity, a barrier to education, and a child protection concern,” she says.

The Department of Social Development integrates menstrual dignity into its broader social justice and protection programmes, including the Social Relief of Distress initiative, which provides sanitary products to girls and women in shelters, hospitals, youth-headed households, and correctional centres.

The department also contributes to the National Sanitary Dignity Task Team, working towards a coordinated and sustainable national response to this issue.

Jason cautions that period poverty leaves many girls vulnerable to stigma, illness, absenteeism, and in extreme cases, exploitation.

“These are the very issues our department is mandated to prevent. Addressing menstrual health is not optional; it is integral to building a safe and equitable future for every child.”

Setting the scene for action

Opening the Indaba, Dr Granville Whittle, the Deputy Director-General for Sector Care and Support Services at the Department of Basic Education, frames the engagement as “a watershed moment” in the country’s ongoing effort to ensure that no learner misses school due to menstruation.

“This Indaba is about much more than a conversation,” says Dr Whittle. “It is a call to collective action. The goal is to mobilise a coordinated whole-of-government response that delivers universal access to menstrual health and sanitary dignity.”

While he acknowledges the progress made since the adoption of the Sanitary Dignity Implementation Framework in 2019, he notes that many girls, especially in poor and rural communities, still miss school every month due to menstruation.

This, he warns, places them at higher risk of school dropout and deepens educational inequality.

Dr Whittle outlines the barriers slowing progress, including budget constraints, fragmented implementation across departments, inefficient supply chains, and a lack of innovation in menstrual health solutions.

He urges all government departments represented to commit to concrete actions and co-develop a measurable plan.

“We must align our resources, strengthen public-private partnerships, and build an innovation pipeline. Today is not just about dialogue, it’s about decisions and delivery,” he concludes.

A multi-sectoral call to action

The Indaba brings together government departments, civil society organisations, development agencies, and the private sector to reflect on progress, identify ongoing barriers, and co-develop a practical, resourced action plan that prioritises vulnerable girls and young women.

By placing menstrual dignity within South Africa’s child protection agenda, the national dialogue challenges policymakers to rethink budgeting, service delivery, and policy through a gendered lens, ensuring that every girl can live and learn with dignity.

As discussions unfold, the message is that menstrual health is not just a health issue; it is a children’s rights issue. And today, South Africa recommits to ensuring that no child is left behind because of their period.