UP part of outreach initiative to empower young girls through menstrual health education

The Onderstepoort Postgraduate Student Association of the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Faculty of Veterinary Science recently partnered with Sanlam’s Spectroplan BlueStar financial services to make an impact on the lives of young girls at St Camillus Primary School in Hammanskraal, Gauteng.

A total of 86 schoolgirls were gifted with Flo Kits from Palesa Pads, which makes high-quality reusable cloth sanitary pads. These products offer comfort, are odour-free and can significantly reduce menstrual cramps due to the absence of toxic chemicals. Moreover, they are leak-free, easy to wash and can be used for up to five years. The learners also participated in an educational session about hygiene and menstrual cycles. The educational outreach extended to boys, to whom talks about drug abuse, peer pressure and gender-based violence were presented.

Research by Stellenbosch University’s Law Clinic found that about 30% of schoolgirls in South Africa miss school when they are menstruating because they’re unable to afford sanitary products. This absenteeism means that they have to work harder to catch up with their schoolwork, thereby affecting their grades and sometimes resulting in them dropping out of school. In the long term, this creates a vacuum in workplaces, with fewer women being represented in higher positions in companies and in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.  

Nurturing schoolgirls at this stage in their lives may help to bridge the gap in STEM and will go a long way to creating women leaders for tomorrow.

This initiative by UP and Sanlam is a small but significant step towards bridging the gender inequality gap and, in the long run, contributing to the alleviation of poverty. Education is key to unlocking many doors, and through this initiative, the partnership aligned itself with several United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including No Poverty (SDG 1), Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Quality Education (SDG 4), Gender Equality (SDG 5) and Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10).

The Onderstepoort Postgraduate Student Association is grateful to Spectroplan BlueStar for being part of this Women’s Month initiative, and would like to thank Jack Manamela and Themba Raselalome for their invaluable contributions; Dr Tedson Nkoana of UP’s Future Africa Institute for his One Health educational material and support; and Andrea White for her menstrual education information sheets (for more information, visit ovathemoon.co.za).