Dozens of young girls participating at a hygiene dialogue in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape have urged the government to provide them with free sanitary towels.
The Caring for girl’s menstrual hygiene day dialogue was held at Beach Hotel and hosted by Imbumba Foundation.
Two of the girls speaking at the dialogue says pads are too expensive.
“I’d like the government to allow pads to be free. I’d like the government to allow pads to be in public space such as schools, clinics, and hospitals. And I’d also like to be in malls – in the toilets.”
“I think government should make pads free because some of us are poor, government must make them free at clinics because menstruation is not our choice.”
CEO of Imbumba Foundation, Richard Mabaso says they have included boys in the dialogue, to help them understand challenges faced by girls…
“Menstrual hygiene in its entirety needs to be reconsidered and in a way that we as men become educated. That is why the dialogue is not only for girls but both girls and boys. And also to create more awareness in our society that there is a need to continue doing everything we can to make sure that we give girls everything they need during menstrual period.”
#SouthAfrica‘s Department of Women announced investment for MHM on #MHDay2019, including R157million to provide free sanitary pads to schools across the country. Read more: https://t.co/igju7m1WNR #ItsTimeForAction #NoMoreLimits
— MenstrualHygieneDay (@MHDay28May) June 11, 2019
