Make menstrual products free: Activists challenge parliament

Social justice advocates in South Africa are no longer asking for charity. They are demanding that parliament treat menstrual hygiene as a fundamental human right through the proposed Menstrual Health Rights Bill. 

This bill calls for universal, free access to safe sanitary products in public institutions, similar to the national condom distribution programme. 

Civil society groups, alongside several departments, recently met at a parliamentary colloquium to discuss the bill’s logistics. These included Team Free Sanitary Pads, I Menstruate, departments of higher education and training, basic education, and women, youth and persons with disabilities.

Free sanitary pads for all

Despite progressive policies already in place, such as no VAT on menstrual products and the Sanitary Dignity Implementation Framework, which sees pads handed out freely by government to girl pupils in no-fee paying, special and farm schools, it is simply not enough. 

While the government provides free sanitary pads to women in prisons, care centres, and public hospital wards, many women and girls still cannot afford or access menstrual products, safe sanitation, or reliable health education. Even with growing awareness, these gaps persist.

Nonkululo Malawana, founder and executive of I Menstruate, argued to parliament that the current government is too inconsistent to rely on. 

She emphasised the psychological impact of inadequate education and facilities, and called for support for the bill, noting that research by her organisation found that 17% of girls in South Africa lack access to adequate sanitation facilities.

The colloquium also heard that 83% of schoolgirls lack consistent access to menstrual hygiene products at home and at school. 

As a result, one in four girls misses school every month due to a lack of safe and accessible products.

“Girls felt stressed, afraid, hurt, embarrassed, lonely and helpless when they go on their first period because they didn’t know what was happening,” she said. 

The proposal called for free sanitary pads for all menstruators in public institutions and other public spaces, including some private areas.

The Nsfas gap

Candice Chirwa, a period poverty activist,believes that there is a significant opportunity to ring-fence the interest universities earn on National Student Financial Aid Scheme( Nsfas) funds. This money could support student wellness and reproductive health services.

A presentation by the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities confirms that all Nsfas beneficiaries receive monthly stipends of R300 to buy toiletries and menstrual products, apart from the rest of what the bursary offers. 

Push for legislative support

Speaking to The Citizen, Chirwa said the case of legislation was lacking.

“It was encouraging to see that conversations regarding the Menstrual Health Rights Bill were seriously considered, and that members of parliament were taken to task regarding their willingness to implement more effective, sustainable programmes,” she said. 

“However, the current ad-hoc approach is failing,” she said. 

“We believe the Menstrual Health Rights Bill is the necessary fix to move from ‘charity-based’ projects to a legally enforceable system that mandates access to products, sanitation, and healthcare.” 

Nokuzola Ndwandwe, founder of Team Free Sanitary Pads, also called for stronger legislation, aligned with those of countries such as Scotland, Kenya, and New Zealand, to ensure universal access to menstrual products. 

Coastal TVET college trains its students to manufacture their own pads to address period poverty. 

Professor Ramneek Ahluwalia, CEO of Higher Health, said the aim is to reduce reliance on large companies and empower local production. He called on parliament to lead the process through legislation and support for small businesses. 

Potentially misplaced funds 

The meeting heard of a divide between government reports and the reality on the ground. 

Tebogo Letsie, chairperson of the portfolio committee on higher education and training, took a hard line on the mismanagement of resources. He stressed the need for strict accountability. 

 “Funding allocated to provide sanitary products must deliver clear results,” he warned. 

This oversight is crucial because the Department of Basic Education and the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities’ sanitary pad programme is reportedly not reaching students effectively. 

Oversight visits from students have confirmed that distribution is often nonexistent or the quantity provided is woefully insufficient, said Chirwa. 

Fisani Shabangu, member of the Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, acknowledged the difficulty of this struggle. 

In his closing remarks, Letsie cautioned that officials must safeguard the future rollout of free sanitary pads against abuse. 

He warned that poor management could allow the system to be exploited. This risks mirroring past incidents where people illegally moved South African goods across borders, he said.

Is a bill really necessary for free pads in South Africa? 

Sihle Ngubane, from the portfolio committee on higher education and training, questioned why a new bill is even necessary when the right to dignity is already in our founding documents. 

He found it concerning that South Africa has one of the world’s most progressive constitutions, yet many still lack access to basic necessities like sanitary pads.

Activists argue that this reason alone justifies the need for a bill.