More than 4,000 sanitary products have been donated to girls and women in sport through a Western Cape Government initiative aimed at advancing menstrual dignity.
The Western Cape Departments of Cultural Affairs and Sport and Social Development joined forces in Mitchells Plain on 25 August for the Women’s Month Sanitary Pad and Panty Drive.
The initiative was supported by the South African Distributors of Incontinence Products (SADIP), which donated more than 4,000 sanitary pads, 324 packets of wipes and over 300 pairs of underwear through the Cape Care Fund.
The products will primarily be distributed to school-going girls between the ages of 13 and 19 participating in sport.
Representatives from local sporting clubs attended the handover, while Running for Pads founder Veruschke Juries helped connect the initiative with community stakeholders.
The campaign aims to address one of the practical barriers that can prevent girls from participating fully in school, sport and community activities.
Western Cape Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport Ricardo Mackenzie said supporting girls in sport requires recognising the challenges that can keep them from participating.
“If we want more girls to stay in sport, we must make sure that they have the support to do so. Sport has the power to give young people a sense of belonging, but those opportunities only matter if we can recognise and remove the very real barriers that can keep girls on the sidelines,” Mackenzie said.
Western Cape Minister of Social Development Wendy Kaizer-Philander said inadequate access to menstrual products can affect both school attendance and participation in sporting activities.
“For many vulnerable girls, menstruation is a harrowing experience because they do not have access to sanitary products. This means that they may not attend school during their periods or participate in sporting activities,” Kaizer-Philander said.
“Through this partnership, we are removing barriers to access for girls so that they can confidently take up opportunities and thrive.”
SADIP’s Peter Buchanan said partnerships between business and government could contribute towards developing sustainable responses to period poverty.
“As our future leaders and sporting heroes, our young women deserve our support to achieve their deserved inclusion without barriers impeding their growth and development,” Buchanan said.
“Our private/public partnership aims to assist with the shortfalls experienced with dignity products. It is our civic duty as business to assist in developing a sustainable model to end period poverty.”
The initiative forms part of the Western Cape Government’s Women’s Month activities and its efforts to ensure girls can participate in sporting opportunities with dignity and confidence.
