Future-thinking teams and vending machines are working together to tackle period poverty across South Africa. Thanks to the vending machines with free sanitary products, over 4000 women have access to the products they need.
South Africa (30 May, 2023)—Vending machines have never been more exciting and socially proactive! Thanks to the efforts of various people working with the MENstruation Foundation (headed by SA’s Siv Ngesi), vending machines that distribute free menstrual hygiene products to communities are changing lives all around South Africa.
Earlier this year, a small town’s community library started tackling period poverty with the help of a Sanitary Pad Vending Machine that offered free products to women in the Western Cape’s Aurora.
Now, the project is becoming bigger and better, rolling out across multiple schools in South Africa.
Here’s Why It Matters:
“This gainful impact will go a long way to help boost school attendance for thousands of girls and increase the awareness of related issues, with the provision of access to free sanitary products,” shared EIMS Africa, the project’s powerhouse.
“As part of our strategy to develop communities, our programmes are simultaneously aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals to ensure that we are indeed impacting the most vulnerable communities adequately and effectively. Our largest investment is made within the Education sector and this programme fits right into it,” added the company’s Community Operations Officer, Veronique Isaacs.
Across three provinces (the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and the Northern Cape) 19 schools and a small community library have received the Sanitary Pad Vending Machines, catering to the needs of well over 4 000 young women.
“Quality Education (SDG 4); Gender Equality (SDG 5); and Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10) are three of the Goals that we are addressing through this programme. Period poverty is a major problem globally, especially in third world countries, and has a massive impact on the dignity, education and work productivity of many young girls in our schools.
“If we can keep more girls in the classroom, learning, completing matric and going on to tertiary institutions as strong young adults, we would have won a large portion of the war on poverty. Education is critical in achieving this mandate,” Isaacs continued.
And, talks are in the works to roll out the project across even more provinces.
Another reason we love this initiative is because it employs eco-friendly personal hygiene products that are locally made. Tackling sustainability, period poverty and furthering local economies? Talk about a vending machine that can do it all.
And, it’s about time! In the words of Siv Ngesi:
“If men bled once a month, sanitary products would be free. Condoms are free and sanitary products are not, it is a failure of justice.”
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