With the 2024 school year in full swing, the Western Cape Department of Social Development (DSD) is doing its part in ensuring the well-being and dignity of girls across the province through its Sanitary Dignity Project.

In partnership with the Western Cape Education Department (WCED), DSD has delivered more than 3.432 million packs of sanitary pads to learners across the province since the inception of the project in 2019/2020.

A breakdown of the distribution figures over recent years, shows that in:

• 2022/2023: a total of 27 817 boxes or 1 335 216 packets were distributed.
• 2023/2024 (1st to 3rd quarter): a total of 25 847 boxes or 1 240 656 packets were distributed.

The Department intends to distribute a further 8 734 boxes or 419 323 packets during the last quarter of the current financial year.

Since 2020/21, DSD has increased the number of beneficiaries from 94 817 learners at 220 schools, to 130 396 learners at 365 schools during 2023/2024. These include farm schools, special needs schools, and DSD-funded child and youth care centres.

Just this week, Provincial Minister of Social Development Sharna Fernandez’s office visited Dorothea Special School in Stellenbosch, for children with disabilities, to deliver sanitary dignity packs.

“The donation will definitely make a difference in our girls’ personal hygiene as most of our learners are dependent on SASSA grants and parents struggle to afford to buy them toiletries. I also try to give the girls a packet each month, but we are lucky to have donors supporting us,” says Sister Linda Carelse, Dorothea Special School Nurse.

“Girls from impoverished communities already face immense societal and economic challenges, and those with special needs are in an even more vulnerable position. We cannot let a natural bodily function like menstruation be another barrier to their learning. We can all do our part. I call on citizens who can and the private sector to play their role in assisting schools in disadvantaged areas to level the playing field for all girls,” says Provincial Minister Fernandez.