The stain of failing our girls

I didn’t know there was a state-sponsored programme to supply period products for poor schoolgirls… but then I guess neither did the supposed recipients.

Because the government providers of the R268 million Sanitary Dignity Programme are handing back over R125 million of unspent cash.

There were problems with procurement, distribution, bureaucracy and planning, as if nobody realised menstruation happens monthly and a girl’s gotta plan.

Quotes for provincial governments

The quotes the provincial governments received per pack ranged from R5 (a bargain) to R223 (right up there in the “skinny jeans for Tembisa Hospital” category), though I couldn’t say what size those packs are, beyond never enough to get you through a month.

Right now, sanitary towels are on special at Spar for R22.99 for 18; at Checkers, the fancier Always brand is R75 for two packs; Pick n Pay has Stayfree at R14.99 for packs of six to 10; Shoprite has a “bogof” (buy one get one free); and Clicks offers 16 own-brand for R14.99.

How do I know this as a woman who hasn’t used pads since I discovered tampons at 14, as a woman who hasn’t needed to buy either for several years?

Girls’ goodie bags

Well, a friend of mine organises an annual Christmas party for kids in a local informal settlement and one of the things she collects for the teenage girls’ goodie bags are sanitary pads.

This year, I’m helping to source those. The girls are always delighted, she tells me, which kind of breaks my heart.

“Look, look! Santa brought me sanitary pads!” is a thing I never said in my life. My mum would write our requirements on the grocery list, then my dad would purchase the necessary in the monthly household shop.

Fear of telltale leak

However, what I did share with the teens struggling to manage this very natural part of becoming a woman is the fear of a telltale leak, the horror of another girl running up behind you at school whispering: “There’s blood on the back of your skirt.”

In my case, our uniform dresses were mustard yellow cotton – clearly designed by someone who hated women – so the mortifying red stains were all too common.

But the real shame is the stain left by this period products debacle, bleeding into the already compromised prospects of our poorest girls.

Pads are on the shopping list, dammit. Just buy the things.