Menstrual poverty means many South African girls continue to miss school, with 83% of them not having access to menstrual hygiene products there or at home.
This is according to the “Bleeding in Silence: Barriers to menstrual hygiene among school girls in South Africa” report by I_Menstruate, released on Wednesday.
Research was conducted among 541 pupils from 18 schools to understand how they manage their periods at school and at home, and what resources are available to them. Two schools were selected from urban and rural settings in each of the nine provinces and all institutions surveyed were located in communities considered to be in poverty.
“Provide pads for free just like condoms,” said 18-year-old Tanya Magano from Galeshewe in the Northern Cape.
“[Approximately] 83% of girl learners reported not having regular access to menstrual hygiene products at school or at home, [while] 78% of those surveyed reported not knowing about menstruation at the time of their first period.
“The vast majority who knew were taught by their mothers or family members, and 25% reported being taught by their teachers. Only 25% of those surveyed were taught about menstruation before age 12,” said the report.
I_Menstruate found schools often did not have enough products for every pupil and girls had to approach administrators or teachers to receive pads.
“This suggests the issue of menstrual hygiene products is widely acknowledged, with various groups involved in supplying them. However, without a comprehensive plan and clear guidelines, learners often face shortages of sanitary pads or rely on the inconsistent support of private donors or institutions.
“South Africa’s extreme inequality has led prominent researchers to remark: ‘Two decades after apartheid it is still the case that the life chances of the average South African child are determined not by their ability or the result of hard work and determination, but instead by the colour of their skin, the province of their birth, and the wealth of their parents.’”
The report added that some schools did not have basic infrastructure.
“They didn’t have access to sports fields, laboratories, or libraries and computer centres, which can serve as a primary source of access to menstrual health education. [About] 17% of learners surveyed shared that they use pit latrine toilets as their basic sanitation facility both at school and home, while others reported being unable to wash their hands regularly due to unreliable water access,” the report said.
Some pupils miss school as a result and feel stressed, afraid, hurt, embarrassed, lonely and helpless when they have their periods.
TimesLIVE
Girls menstruating in silence and shame due to lack of sanitary pads
Image: 123RF/mousefamily
Menstrual poverty means many South African girls continue to miss school, with 83% of them not having access to menstrual hygiene products there or at home.
This is according to the “Bleeding in Silence: Barriers to menstrual hygiene among school girls in South Africa” report by I_Menstruate, released on Wednesday.
Research was conducted among 541 pupils from 18 schools to understand how they manage their periods at school and at home, and what resources are available to them. Two schools were selected from urban and rural settings in each of the nine provinces and all institutions surveyed were located in communities considered to be in poverty.
“Provide pads for free just like condoms,” said 18-year-old Tanya Magano from Galeshewe in the Northern Cape.
“[Approximately] 83% of girl learners reported not having regular access to menstrual hygiene products at school or at home, [while] 78% of those surveyed reported not knowing about menstruation at the time of their first period.
“The vast majority who knew were taught by their mothers or family members, and 25% reported being taught by their teachers. Only 25% of those surveyed were taught about menstruation before age 12,” said the report.
I_Menstruate found schools often did not have enough products for every pupil and girls had to approach administrators or teachers to receive pads.
“This suggests the issue of menstrual hygiene products is widely acknowledged, with various groups involved in supplying them. However, without a comprehensive plan and clear guidelines, learners often face shortages of sanitary pads or rely on the inconsistent support of private donors or institutions.
“South Africa’s extreme inequality has led prominent researchers to remark: ‘Two decades after apartheid it is still the case that the life chances of the average South African child are determined not by their ability or the result of hard work and determination, but instead by the colour of their skin, the province of their birth, and the wealth of their parents.’”
The report added that some schools did not have basic infrastructure.
“They didn’t have access to sports fields, laboratories, or libraries and computer centres, which can serve as a primary source of access to menstrual health education. [About] 17% of learners surveyed shared that they use pit latrine toilets as their basic sanitation facility both at school and home, while others reported being unable to wash their hands regularly due to unreliable water access,” the report said.
Some pupils miss school as a result and feel stressed, afraid, hurt, embarrassed, lonely and helpless when they have their periods.
TimesLIVE
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