A picture of a pack of Sanitary Pads distributed by the KZN Education Department is going viral across the internet and here is what you need to know about it.
In February 2017, we shared a story about the KZN Education Department and their plans to distribute FREE sanitary pads to almost 3000 institutions. Their goal was to reduce the drop-out rate of girl learners – caused by missing out on school, due to not being able to afford sanitary pads.
They shared in a statement, that the department would distribute four packs per student to schools in lower-income communities focusing on girls from Grade 4 to Grade 12. The pads are being given to the school principals and handed out to each of the students every 6 months.
The Education Department piloted the programme in November 2016. They wanted to be able to ensure that the sanitary pads were being used by the students and not their older family members.
“We have to manage this programme because we want it to focus on helping girls who are in schools. We don’t want aunties and other women to use these sanitary pads because they are there to help our female learners and to ensure that they don’t have to miss classes because they cannot afford these pads,”
“We could have given the girls sanitary pads that would have lasted them a year but we have decided to distribute packs that would last only six months. This is because we don’t want to have a situation where there is a temptation from the girls and officials to sell them [the pads],” – Kwazi Mthethwa, spokesman for Education MEC Mthandeni Dlungwane (statement from February, 2017)
Since the image has gone viral there have been some mixed feelings about the new sanitary pads. The only negative comments have come from members of the public that are not in need of sanitary pads so the negativity is pretty irrelevant. What does matter is that these pads will uplift thousands of young women and girls that have no choice!
This is an important win for South Africa and we cannot wait to see it implemented in every single school across the country. Not only will it empower young women, the new system will create jobs.
What are your thoughts?
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