#TeamFreeSanitaryPads Petitions

Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities

29 October 2024
Chairperson: Ms L van der Merwe (IFP)
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Meeting Summary

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Presentations awaited: #TeamFreeSanitaryPads Petition presentation & DWYPD Briefing on the Sanitary Dignity Programme

The Portfolio Committee met to consider a petition from #TeamFreeSanitaryPads, which called on government to investigate the provision of free sanitary pads and enhanced support for menstrual health. The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, also gave a presentation on the sanitary dignity implementation framework (SDIF)

The Committee had a few concerns. Members wondered why it was that the Free State had received no sanitary products at all, and why sanitary products were very expensive in provinces such as the Northern Cape. They expressed their grave disappointment at the absence of the Ministry, as well as the Director-General of the Department, as this was an issue that needed to be brought to their attention and considered with the utmost importance.

The Committee noted the damage caused by an unregulated sector such as the local spaza shops, where children were dying from eating harmful food, as well as the many reports of poor quality sanitary products. It also drew attention to the corruption in provinces such as KwaZulu-Natal, where some schools sold donated sanitary products. It wanted to know how challenges which the Department had observed through its monitoring of the Sanitary Dignity Programme were being resolved. It requested details of the exact numbers of beneficiaries and schools involved. It proposed holding a committee inquiry into all the issues raised, as there were still many gaps in the programme.

Meeting report

Opening comments
 

The Chairperson greeted and welcomed all present at the meeting. She had hoped that at least the Director-General would be present at the meeting, as they were discussing a very important topic. She called for the Department officials to introduce themselves.

Mr Sipiwo Matshoba, Acting Chief Director: Social Empowerment and Participation, Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD), introduced himself.

Ms Thandiwe Mpondo, Director: Parliamentary and Cabinet Support, Mr Sifiso Khoza, from the Deputy Minister’s office, and Ms Bongi Mapalweni, from the office of the Director-General, introduced themselves.

The Chairperson outlined the agenda for the meeting, and said she was looking forward to hearing the presentation on the petition, as it was very important to the Committee. She handed over to the first presenter.
#TeamFreeSanitaryPads petition
Ms Nokuzola Ndwandwe, Menstrual Health Rights Activist and founder of #TeamFreeSanitaryPads, briefed the Committee on the various issues contributing to the unsuccessful implementation of the Sanitary Dignity Programme (SDP). Challenges included insufficient funding, delays in procurement, quality concerns over sanitary products, and fragmented coordination between government departments.

She told the Committee it was unhappy about the Department's persistent failure to implement the SDP.

The presentation covered an explanation for the founding of the #TeamFreeSanitaryPads, its objective and vision, what the organisation is advocating for

The Chairperson thanked Ms Ndwandwe for her presentation, and said her contribution was appreciated throughout the country. The Committee had noted the proposals and would consider achieving this through additional legislation, and extending this to all sanitary products.

She handed over to the Department to give their presentation.

DWYPD Briefing on the Sanitary Dignity Programme
The Department took the Committee through its presentation looking at the sanitary dignity implementation framework (SDIF), implementing provinces, budgets and benefits of the programme.

Discussion

The Chairperson expressed appreciation for the two presentations, and noted the similarities between the two. She did not think sanitary dignity was a feminist issue, but rather a human rights issue. She had expected the Director-General to be present, and was unhappy about her absence. She was worried to hear that no sanitary products had been delivered to the Free State, and that South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) approval was not compulsory for retailers. She had seen the damage caused by an unregulated sector such as the local spaza shops, where children were dying from eating harmful food. She would engage with other departments on this.

Ms R Adams (ANC) asked how the Department coordinated its activities within the provinces. How were challenges which the Department observed through its monitoring of the SDP resolved? Different allocations were between 2019 and 2027, especially in the Northern Cape. With all the allocations through the financial year, did the Department take into account how a province would survive to cover the programme? What informed the equitable share to provinces? What were the reasons provided by the National Treasury to increase the allocation to provinces? Given the raised petition, did the Department have the exact number of beneficiaries in provinces through non-governmental organisations (NGOs)? If not, why not? Had the Department collaborated with any NGOs to improve coordination? Who carried out the advocacy and information sessions? Who conducted the assessments for water supply and hygiene in provinces? Which provinces lacked SDP committees, and what had been the Department’s intervention on this issue?

Ms F Shabangu (ANC) agreed with the raised issues of being stigmatised and bullied for having a menstrual period, saying it was due to a lack of education and the lack of such programmes in place. She commented that there were similarities between the two presentations, and she could see the impact on society. She noted progress within the Department, though there was still room for improvement. She was not clear on how the Department conducted oversight in the other provinces.

The Chairperson noted that most of the questions were directed to the Department, so she would allow the petitioner to make further input after all the questions were raised.

Ms M Rweqana (MK) asked whether or not the programme reached the rural areas, and if yes, could specifications be provided? These were necessary. She commented that the report was very general. What were the specifications for the products distributed in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN)? She had heard that the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) students received R290 for cosmetics, and she did not think this was enough, as people were living under difficult conditions in the country and this would force women to buy poor quality sanitary products from the spaza shops. She said the procurement processes should not be complicated, as this would delay the process of distributing to other provinces, such as the Free State. Did this process have monitoring systems in place?

Ms E Spies (DA) said she had personally engaged with beneficiaries of this programme and had noted many concerns that required their attention to ensure effectiveness. She said there was a lack of engagement with the Department of Basic Education (DBE), pointing out that the sanitary products were stored with the secretaries in schools, and this caused embarrassment for young women having to go and physically request the products.

She echoed the comments on the poor quality of sanitary products which led to discomfort and poor health. She noted that the programme focused only on the products, and not on other key issues faced by those who menstruate. She suggested that they have a comprehensive approach which includes hygiene education and proper menstrual health. The non-profit organisations (NPOs) should be engaged with on this, as they were the ones who were physically working on the ground. She referred to the issue of low iron levels and energy loss, and said she could provide her own daughter with the necessary care, but many young women did not have access to such care and they should therefore engage with the Health Department. Nutritional guidance was needed during the menstrual period. She suggested they consider individually packed sanitary products, rather than a full batch being distributed to the secretaries. She suggested more engagement with the various departments.

What were the primary challenges facing the programme in local schools? How could the DBE be more effectively engaged to improve on the programme? How could the programme be modified to reduce the stigma? What additional resources were required to address menstrual health and hygiene? How could nutritional guidance be integrated into a programme? Collaborating with local clinics and healthcare providers should be explored. How would the revised programme of school attendance and participation be incorporated into the measurement of the programme’s effectiveness, and how would the feedback on the beneficiaries inform the Committee?

Ms J Petersen (PA) asked how the Department monitored the implementation of the programmes at a district level. She requested details on the number of schools receiving products and how many learners who required such products were enrolled.

Ms A Khanyile (DA) appreciated the petition brought forward, and said that should they fail with this programme, they would have failed the youth of the country. She had seen on the website that in 2018, there was mention of National Treasury promising to issue free sanitary products to schools. She thought it strange that there was mention of an insufficient budget and also mention of not all the money being spent. What tool was being used to measure the spending of the funds? She commented that the Department did not know who was responsible for the distribution of sanitary products in schools. This was an issue raised previously, and they had requested a list from the Department, which would make their oversight more efficient. She mentioned earlier that she had visited various schools where the sanitary products had not yet been received. She was not clear who to hold accountable, and again requested the list.

She said that of the schools receiving sanitary products, some received poor quality products, and this led to further complications and negative health impacts. She had never heard of products being distributed to Mpumalanga. The issue of the Free State was important, and they needed to look into this. What had the Department done to resolve this matter, especially with the long process of procurement? She said that in the Northern Cape, the sanitary products were too expensive. Was the Department unable to secure more affordable products elsewhere? She applauded the presentation from the Department regarding the additional items being distributed in Gauteng. Was this also being shared in the rural areas? She noted the mention of washrooms in schools as well as mirrors and water, and while this sounded pleasing in theory, in reality, there were still many schools which used pit toilets. What was the Department doing to secure the necessary facilities at such schools?

Ms T Chauke-Adonis (ANC) asked if there was collaboration with Statistics SA to acquire statistics on the distribution of sanitary products to establish how many beneficiaries there were. What were some of the intervention strategies proposed to the various stakeholders, to ensure the success of implementing effective programmes? How could they ensure that they had a concrete monitoring tool in place? How could they ensure the successful implementation of menstrual hygiene practices? She reiterated the point of focusing on the menstrual hygiene cycle as a whole, rather than menstruation on its own. She recalled that when she was in high school, her school would host talks on menstrual hygiene practices every month, and said this should be re-introduced within the Life Orientation programme.

How did the Department ensure adequate monitoring and evaluation, and execute its oversight mandate? They needed to understand where the mandate lay for the distribution of sanitary products. She suggested a monitoring tool was needed for them to monitor the provinces and to recognise some of the shortfalls. She suggested that they discuss how to reinforce the already-existing policies so that they could see to its successful implementation, relying on other stakeholders to implement this programme. She suggested that #TeamFreeSanitaryPads conduct its own oversight. Did they have a plan in place to conduct their oversight with the Department and the Committee? Could they evaluate that the budget was being used adequately? If not, why not?

She referred to the discussion on product quality, and said this needed to be prioritised and not put below the prioritising of condoms. What support did the Department require from the Committee in terms of their oversight responsibility? What strategy management tools were in place for provinces that were underperforming and under-delivering? They should enforce the recommendations coming from the Department, as they could not have one province underperforming while the others performed appropriately.

Dr T Letlape (ActionSA) asked if the initial funding of R400 million was a real number -- if so, this was gross underfunding. Part of the Committee’s duty was to ensure proper funds were being made available. The underfunded mandates compromised the provision of service. He suggested that the Committee advocate for part of the health taxes to be distributed to services in need. Various taxes were collected but were not yet being used. How could they measure success on a quote basis? He suggested a common accountability point so that the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) could operate effectively. Given that this was a health problem, could they involve the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA)? This would assist with the licensing and regulation of manufacturers. This could improve the quality of the sanitary products.

The Chairperson thanked the Members for their comments, said they valued the work being done, and showed support for the petition. She agreed that they had not done enough to end period poverty. She supported the idea of implementing a tax incentive for companies who implemented the SDP, and acknowledged the argument for new legislation. The first problem was that another Bill would not immediately resolve the issues at hand. A policy was in place to ensure that it addressed the needs of all those in need of sanitary products. They would address the gaps and see about assisting the Department on how to resolve this issue. She suggested a committee inquiry into the SDP so they could understand the roles of all the various stakeholders and evaluate the work being done in this regard. She noted the corruption where the products were being sold in schools in some parts of KZN. An inquiry was needed in this regard.

Responses

#TeamFreeSanitaryPads

Ms Ndwandwe responded on policy and legislation, saying that she was an accountant by profession. She was disheartened to hear that legislation was not being considered due to a lack of funds, as she and others who were equally passionate had fought for the cause alongside the government to ensure that funds were set aside to achieve their goal. This was definitely a possibility, especially if they all worked together to ensure that sanitary products were a basic and essential item catered for in the schools and the work sector. She would not overlook the protection of the human rights of women and young girls.

She said the NGOs could not afford to take the government to court, which was why they were fighting on such platforms and submitting petitions to express the concern that there was a national crisis in this regard. She said the work she was doing currently was unpaid work -- she had a full-time job for which she was getting paid. She was doing this because it was her passion. She used her own personal story to launch this cause as she was concerned for the girls who were in rural areas and had no access to quality products and healthcare with their menstrual health-related illnesses. She strongly suggested legislation that included accountability and clarity on addressing the issues brought forward. She suggested holding various stakeholders accountable. She implored the Committee to reconsider introducing legislation.

The Chairperson said she took the petition brought forward very seriously. They would prioritise the SDP and assess all the gaps and proposals. She looked forward to the journey. She excused Ms Ndwandwe from the meeting.

She said they needed to consider holding a Committee inquiry into all the issues raised, as there were many gaps. She was concerned about the lack of figures on learners who required sanitary products and who were receiving them, the issue of service delivery and delivery of good quality products, and the existence of corruption. The Committee needed to intervene and call all the relevant stakeholders together. She asked what the monitoring and evaluation tool for the SDP looked like. She noted the time constraints and handed over for responses; written responses may be submitted within 48 hours.

Department

Mr Matshoba said he agreed with the suggestion to involve all the relevant stakeholders so that they could give input on the procurement process. The other issues raised could be worked on.

Regarding how the Department coordinated with the provinces, they had quarterly meetings at which the provinces submitted quarterly reports detailing the beneficiaries and how far the reach was. They would then go to provinces and troubleshoot, corresponding with the Director-General. At the district and local level, there were communities and school-based support teams comprised mainly of teachers. There were definitely structures for accountability, but the challenge was regulating those structures, hence the development of a monitoring and evaluation framework. This was to improve planning, monitoring and execution. He said that certain provinces were performing better than others, with some having a lot of innovations and better plans compared to others. Planning was crucial to avoid issues with the procurement process which could lead to frustration. They were trying to work through these issues.

He confirmed that in the Northern Cape, the allocation was R10 million, but National Treasury had reduced it because the province had not used its budget. They hoped that they could now receive an increased budget.

Regarding the equitable share, which was determined by the population density, although the Northern Cape had a smaller population, its land size was very large and this impacted on the distribution of resources. They collaborated with other departments for the existing basket of services, and also worked with NGOs who were closely involved with the communities.

Mr Matshoba said that he would share the information on the gaps in the programme with the Committee, adding that this was a very slow process and he wished it was otherwise. He agreed that there was room for improvement, and they had tried to improve on monitoring.

He said that KZN was a province which had been able to reach all of its beneficiaries. He would gather information on the schools where they had noted missteps.

Regarding the R290 monthly stipend for NSFAS students, he said the government was trying to provide minimal funds for learners to purchase a few toiletries. They could engage more on increasing the stipend. He would follow up on this.

He said the Free State situation was a human rights issue, because, with the delays in procurement, the learners could not control when they menstruated, and they had called for these issues to be addressed. Procurement in the provinces remained a huge issue.

He agreed that it would be ideal if they could have a budget to cover the surrounding issues regarding menstrual health.

He confirmed that there were mobile clinics which went to the schools, and they would have to monitor their frequency.

He reported that the learners felt stigmatised by healthcare workers in clinics, who would insult the learners and embarrass them. This was unnecessary, and these issues should be addressed.

In schools, there was the age-appropriate Comprehensive Sexuality Education Programme through the Life Orientation (LO) classes. Here, there was an issue of not all LO teachers being knowledgeable on such issues, while others were more educated. Training was essential here, and this was in the area for involvement by the DBE.

He agreed that the DWYPD needed to intensively collaborate with other departments, and they would also work with #TeamFreeSanitaryPads.

Referring to funds not being utilised, he noted that in provinces that were spending their money, they did not include all of their beneficiaries. In Mpumalanga, they could not exceed the quintile one schools because of the budget they received. Quintiles 2 and 3 did not receive sanitary pads yet.

He was happy to receive information on the quality of the sanitary products, as the ones distributed by the SABS were of excellent quality.

He was not aware of the expensive sanitary products in the Northern Cape, only the expansiveness of the province. The Gauteng model would be the best for all the provinces, but there was currently a budgetary issue. In Mpumalanga, the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) had allocated R30 million to improve the sanitation facilities in the province. He agreed with the suggestions to collaborate with other entities.

He said that the Department would need help from the Committee to unlock the procurement processes of the province, which would effectively use their allocated budget to ensure that their budget did not get reduced.

The SABS and the SAHPRA were both partners in terms of product safety. They covered tampons and menstrual cups, as they were biomedical issues. They had to be aware of cultural and religious issues around insertion. Some communities were reluctant to use such products, and a SAHPRA licence was required.

He concluded by referring to the many gaps and issues that needed to be handled to achieve the desired outcome.

The Chairperson thanked Mr Matshoba for his responses. She implored the Director-General to be present at such meetings in the future. She expressed her interest in receiving the information on the Sanitation Gaps report, as well as the monitoring and evaluation tool for the SDP. She excused the Department and thanked them for their participation.

Closing comments

The Chairperson said that today was a sad day because Ms Neliswa Nobatana, the Committee Secretary, was officially retiring after decades of service to Parliament.

She mentioned that the parliamentary programme had been changed -- next week was their constituency week -- and thereafter, there would be a debate on the 16 Days of Activism. They would meet in three weeks’ time.

She suggested that they look at engaging urgently with the Department in terms of their oversight role, as she wanted their inputs in this regard.

The meeting was adjourned.
 

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