Talking about menstruation is taboo for most girls and women, but when this natural bodily function prevents girls from going to school because they can't afford the necessary sanitary products, it needs to be discussed.
Talking about menstruation is taboo for most girls and women, but when this natural bodily function prevents girls from going to school because they can't afford the necessary sanitary products, it needs to be discussed.
Katie Mhlambiso of the Transkei said that her family is poor and she cannot afford sanitary towels. “My daughter must use a cloth, which is reused and washed, but if the bleeding is heavy she does not go to school,” Mhlambiso said.
Many poor families can identify with this situation and without adequate facilities at schools the non-attendance of girls during menstruation is a widespread problem in South Africa. According to consumer goods company Procter Gamble, girls can miss up to one week of school per month due to them having their periods. This translates to 20% of the school year, putting these girls at a serious learning disadvantage.
President Jacob Zuma has acknowledged this problem on several occasions and has so far only proposed that girls from poor backgrounds be given free pads.
The cheapest pads cost around R18 a packet. On average, a young woman will need two packets a month, at a cost of R36 or R3 024 in her school career. When food is a household's priority, this cost is just too much. Moreover, menstruation is a taboo subject in many circles and thus prevents schools, communities, and individuals from addressing it.
It’s unpleasant and confusing enough for young girls starting menstruation, but it can make their lives difficult when they must resort to using cloths, toilet paper, or newspaper – which can be a health hazard – in stead of pads. These makeshift solutions aren't always completely effective and can also lead to embarrassing ‘accidents’.
However, some government schools in Grahamstown have solutions in place – for now.
“It’s easy for learners to go to the secretary and get a pad, so girls don’t miss school,” said Pakama Mdingi, head of Life Orientation at Nombulelo Secondary School. The pads are supplied to the school by the Department of Health for free, Mdingi said. Before this the school used to receive donations from feminine hygiene company, Always.
Life Orientation head at Nathaniel Nyaluza Secondary Nomthanta Planga reported that she hadn't experienced problems with girls missing school because they too receive help. “We are lucky enough to be located right next to the [Temba] TB hospital which provides us with sanitary towels for free,” she said.
Although these Grahamstown schools have good news to report, other schools, especially in more rural areas of the Eastern Cape are still in need.
The sad reality is that often what should be a celebration of womanhood is surrounded by embarrassment, taboo and shame, and most importantly a natural bodily function has become an obstacle to the education of girls. Although there are great initiatives working towards getting girls their monthly sanitation necessities for free, a mountain still remains, and this hole in South Africa's health services needs to be addressed.
How about an out-of-this-world alternative?
The Mooncup is a reusable menstrual cup made from soft medical-grade silicone that lasts from 5-10 years. It is worn internally and unlike pads or tampons that absorb menstrual discharge, the Mooncup collects it. The cup is then removed, rinsed and reinserted up to every eight hours. A light seal is formed with the vaginal walls, allowing menstrual fluid to pass into the Mooncup without leakage. This seal is released at removal. On average, a woman will use over 11 000 tampons or pads in her lifetime, which will end up in landfills or in the sea. The Mooncup is an environmentally-friendly alternative. Considering that a woman will spend almost R20 000 on sanitary products in her life, the R250 Mooncup seems to be heaven-sent. It however, has to be said that the Mooncup can be messy.
