Provision of sanitary products for or to schools

Moon et al. (2020: 4) indicate that “menstruation and the use of menstrual products are a fundamental component of life, and both females and men should have a thorough

96 understanding of them. Therefore, it is necessary to examine and improve the current knowledge and perceptions of women and men related to menstruation and menstrual products.” According to Hennegan et al. (2017: 2), there is not enough research about menstrual health, and the effects of poor menstrual management have gone beyond the classroom and impact on health, dignity, psychosocial wellbeing, employment and participation in society. Poor menstrual hygiene management is under-researched and menstruating girls are affected by the non-availability and non-accessibility of menstrual products. This has been shown to be the cause of absenteeism, fear, anxiety, infection and depression. Haver et al. (2018: 374) note that research globally reports that when schoolgirls face challenges linked to menstrual hygiene management, their education is compromised.

Deviant identities are identified by Becker (1963) as being awarded to an individual before any deviant action takes place. Individuals are known to continuously adjust their own identity and behaviour to suit the label given to them by others. For the menstruating girl, the non- availability of menstrual products at home and school, could result in absenteeism. This might result in the girl being labelled as lazy by her teacher or she could be teased when she returns to school (McMahon et al., 2011: 4). Therefore, it is of paramount importance that menstrual products are available at schools to support the menstruating girl. One primary school teacher in the current study revealed that “(in) most cases the learner might not have sanitary towels, and she will not come to school”. This demonstrates menstrual poverty because most girls in rural areas are unable to afford sanitary towels and therefore stay at home which has a negative impact on their academic progress. The Kenyan girls in Mclean’s (2020: 13) study could not afford commercial sanitary products because of poverty. Although menstrual products have been made more affordable in Kenya, members of the Oyugis ethic group are still too poor to afford commercial sanitary towels. Maclean (2020:18) explains that “unaffordable sanitary towels forces girls to construct their own protection”, which relates to Cooley’s “looking-glass self-theory”. The looking-glass self-theory can be described as a process wherein an individual sees themselves in a certain light because they believe that others perceive them that way.

Cooley’s theory includes the self, symbols and society, and it could be argued that the self does not function alone but within a social situation in the society. This interaction between society and the self creates meaning. The menstruating girl in this interaction is protecting herself by using other materials, such as leaves, used clothes, old cotton fabric and newspapers, to collect the menstrual blood, (Mohammed et al., 2020: 6).

97 Sanitary towels are supposed to be provided by Eastern Cape Department of Basic Education to schools in Makana. Unfortunately, however, this is not a sustainable project. The schools in my study had to provide their own supply of disposal sanitary towels from school funds (not government funds) and sometimes the teachers used their own money to purchase sanitary towels. Some products were provided by Non-Profit Organisations (NGOs), but this was irregular and not sustainable. Corporate sponsorship, by companies such as Clicks, only give to schools as a once-off donation which is not a sustainable solution. The commitment of the school principals towards providing menstrual products for menstruating girls at school is a positive intervention against the fight against poor menstrual hygiene management. A Grade 6 teacher in this study said that the school “receives (products) from the department and private people”. The Life Orientation teacher at a high school explained that “sometimes it is the school (that provides the product) but in the past the department was providing us (with products). So now the school buys our own.”

Ndamase’s (2019) article in the Daily Dispatch reported on the provision of sanitary pads to poor Eastern Cape pupils by the Eastern Cape Department of Social Development. The department allocated R22.8 million to provide sanitary products to impoverished schoolgirls.

A partnership between the Department of Social Development and the Department of Education and Health is aimed at strengthening the Sanitary Dignity Programme designed for schoolgirls from grades 4-12 in underprivileged schools within the Eastern Cape. This programme seeks to ensure the dignity of menstruating girls through the provision and accessibility of sanitary products at schools. Research conducted in South African schools show that one in three girls from rural areas is likely to be absent from school for four days each month due to a lack of access to menstrual hygiene products (Ndamase, 2019:2). These girls have self-esteem issues due to a lack of skills, while absenteeism also results in an increase in illiteracy. Girls who miss out on school because of menstruation are less employable and at risk of socio-psychological issues. A Grade 6 teacher at a rural school in my study said that she told a menstruating girl “everything about menstruation and give the girl sanitary pads and asked her if she has products at home. If not, I provide her with a pack of pads”. The teacher also reassured the girl that sanitary products were available at the school whenever she “(did) not have products at home, then you come to me.” The Sanitary Dignity Programme for Schoolgirls in the Eastern Cape Province is not a sustainable project because the principals in my study reported that the schools had to provide sanitary products for the girls because government support was unreliable.

98 According to Aksan et al. (2009: 903), Blumer’s concept of symbolic interactionism is based on the change of meanings within the interpretative process. The menstruating girl feels that the school is supportive because these products are provided, available and accessible. In this way, menstrual poverty is addressed, and the meaning changed. This system at schools encourages and motivates girls to attend school more regularly. Young girls in impoverished communities experience a daily battle with menstrual poverty. There is a lack of support, understanding and empathy for young girls experiencing puberty, menarche and menstruation in these school environments, as schools are unprepared and do not have the necessary resources available to provide sufficiently for female pupils who are transitioning from childhood to womanhood. One of the principals in this study reported that the school “do(es) not have enough sanitary towels” to give to menstruating girls. This school, as an educational institution’s contribution to menstrual poverty, was unable to make sanitary products available for poor girls to restore their dignity and human rights.

Hennegan (2020: 643) reports that a research study in Ghana provided sanitary pads for girls and discovered significant improvements in attendance among schoolgirls. An example of symbolic interactionism in South African was the exemption of menstrual products from value- added tax (VAT) in April 2019 and the recognition of these products as essential. Crankshaw et al. (2020: 2) report that girls and women in Eastern and Southern African (ESA) countries have started providing sanitary towels to schoolgirls and/or exempted sanitary products from tax duties. Therefore, the accessibility and availability of menstrual products has improved.