Combatting period poverty: Empowering girls through education

Period poverty is a form of violence against women and children.

These are the words of Chantelle Goliath, chief executive officer of the non-profit organisation, New Heritage Foundation.

Ms Goliath founded the organisation in 2012 to end period poverty and works, among others, in schools educating girls and boys around reproductive health.

“Period poverty is a significant barrier to girls' and women's human rights, impacting their dignity, health, and opportunities.

“It is a form of violence against their right to bleed with dignity because it strips them of the ability to manage their menstruation safely and without shame,” she said.

Ms Goliath said period poverty undermines the rights of women and children to health, education, and future economic opportunities.

“Without proper products, women and girls resort to unsafe alternatives like rags or newspapers, increasing risks of infections, like urinary tract infections,” she said.

Menstruation is often a taboo subject, leading to exclusion from social activities, sports and religious practices, Ms Goliath said.

“This reinforces harmful gender stereotypes and discrimination. The cost of products forces some into transactional sex for pads, heightening risks of HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, and teen pregnancies,” she added.

New Heritage recently concluded a series of sexual reproductive health awareness talks at Leap Maths and Science School in Paarl.

Nhlonipho Ndwandwe, principal of Leap School Paarl, said the school is known for bringing quality education to under-resourced communities, focusing especially on mathematics and science.

Located in the heart of Mbekweni, the school has 121 pupils and five classrooms. The premises previously housed a carpet factory and preschool.

“Our school is well-known among disadvantaged communities. We cater for children who come from underprivileged houses and communities and give them a private education.

"We make them aware that they don’t necessarily need to go outside their community to get that education,” she said.

The New Heritage Foundation’s interactive awareness sessions with pupils encouraged open dialogue between boys and girls around the issue of reproductive health and menstruation, in particular.

“We need to normalise conversations around menstruation. It is a big part of who we are, and it is not something we need to be ashamed of.

“Giving out sanitary pads is not enough. It is important to have conversations which have been stigmatised for the longest of times.

“It is very important that girls understand their reproductive system, what is menstruation, and how to manage that.

"This is to make sure that they don’t feel that having your period is something shameful or that it is a curse,” Ms Goliath said.

In addition to the awareness programme at the school, the organisation donated sanitary pads to the school and 50 dignity packs to girl learners.

Ms Ndwandwe said that the foundation has positively impacted the learners at the school.

“New Heritage has been such an amazing blessing to our school. We know how much our kids are suffering, many of them do not have access to sanitary pads.

“The organisation has given us boxes of sanitary pads, which means that our kids can get these pads anytime they need one. They have also come in to have regular sessions and have conversation with the kids about sexual education,” she said.

Grade 8 pupil and learner representative Amyoli Dlebusuku said the school is transforming the lives of its pupils.

“It is so nice being at Leap School. We are like a family. We offer all the other subjects, but specialise in maths and science. When you are in grade 10, you can choose between accounting and geography.

“I want people from our community to know that there is life outside of Mbekweni and in Mbekweni. It is not all about what is happening in the streets –  there is life in the school.

“You can change your life here. It doesn’t matter where you come from, who you are – there is life in this school,” Amyoli said.

The New Heritage Foundation also offered the same sexual reproductive health education awareness programme at Leap School in Langa, where it worked with 50 girls and 25 boys.