The City of Johannesburg’s Sport and Recreation Region F celebrated Mandela Day by bringing all the excitement and vibrancy to young girls at Brixton Multipurpose Centre with the programme “Menstrual rights is a human right”. Up to 7 million South African women lack access to sanitary products or cannot afford to purchase them. This is referred to as “period poverty”.
There is no official data on absenteeism owing to a lack of sanitary products, but it is estimated that 30% of South African girls skip school when they are on their period.
“Period poverty in South Africa creates a stigma surrounding menstruation and has a detrimental effect on overall hygiene. Our programme works to combat each of these components of period poverty and are a pillar in providing young girls in South Africa with a sustainable lifestyle in which their periods do not jeopardise their health or education,” said Nonhlanhla Maboa, Assistant Director of Sport and Recreation, Region F.
As more young girls miss school, learning becomes increasingly difficult for them. With insufficient education, young girls have fewer opportunities to elevate themselves and their communities out of poverty, which often leads to alcohol and substance abuse. This is the crux of South African period poverty.
To bridge the gap, Region F Sport and Recreation went all out with the young girls who attended, equipping them with life skills and promoting awareness about social concerns such as teenage pregnancy, alcohol and substance abuse, and how these may adversely influence their lives and futures.
The day featured fun activities including aerobics and motivating talks from social workers, the South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (SANCA), the Health Department and other stakeholders. Young girls were provided with comfort packs, which included hygiene and sanitary products as a means to alleviate period poverty and promote healthy hygiene.
Yoliswa Biyase, the City’s health promoter, encouraged young girls to abstain from sex and discussed teenage pregnancy and menstruation as well as the negative consequences of alcohol and substance abuse.
“Youngsters who use drugs and alcohol are more likely to engage in various forms of risky behaviour, which may lead to increased sexual behaviour with the possibility of pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, or even sexual assault,” she said.
Written by Ntombifuthi Junerose Nkosi
19/07/2022
