Period poverty refers to a lack of financial means to access sanitary products. This term is particularly relevant in South Africa. A seemingly natural occurrence is turned into a nightmare for millions of young girls through a lack of access to menstrual products and education.
Globally, young girls are forced to miss school due to a lack of sanitary towels. This monthly pattern of missing out on education has devastating long term effects, not only in terms of educational development, but also on the psyche of the girls.
One of our social responsibilities at Tara Healthcare is to support Governments’ initiatives to end period poverty and restore dignity to young girls, so that they may reach their full potential. In so doing, we recently ran a drive where we were able to hand out sanitary pads to young girls in need.
Recognising that the Corona Virus has brought about a disruption in sanitary dignity programmes pioneered by the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with disabilities, the need to address menstrual health in society has become more important than ever.
It is in the spirit of ubuntu, that we join hands with the Departments of Women, Education, Social Development and Health and pledge our support by distributing sanitary pads.
We also further support the screening of young girls for Diabetes, an illness that can cause several menstrual problems as well as affect reproductive outcomes later in life.
We will continue to address menstrual health in society in an effort to restore dignity to these young girls and bring an end to period poverty.