Former Miss South Africa Natasha Joubert and the Stay YOUnique School Programme teamed up to educate school girls on their bodies as part of a big menstrual health initiative that’s tackling period poverty!
Johannesburg, South Africa (15 October 2024) — Fighting period poverty is as much about providing essential resources as it is about empowering young women to learn about their bodies. Without female-focused education in a young girl’s arsenal, she will be at risk of falling into misinformation traps about her own body, making her susceptible to myths, disempowering narratives and even shame for things that are totally normal.
For many of us, school-led information about our periods stemmed either from biology classes or from brief sex education classes, neither of which gave a woman’s body and its inner workings the full spotlight.
It takes many years for a lot of women to truly understand their body’s rhythms. But, if you’re in an underprivileged environment where information from sources beyond your community is limited and sanitary products themselves are a struggle to gain access to, the process of learning and becoming comfortable with yourself becomes greatly exasperated.
According to the World Health Organisation, around seven million school girls are unable to afford sanitary pads. This sharpens perspective as to how many young women likely face a plethora of other social challenges that stem from period poverty—including feeling confident, dignified, worthy and being informed.
In an effort to combat period poverty whilst offering educational resources to school girls, the Kotex Stay YOUnique programme, in collaboration with the Department of Basic Education, is stepping up.
This year, former Miss South Africa Natasha Joubert and Dr Nosipho Mhlanga joined forces with the programme in an effort to educate over 300 school girls on the importance of the basics; dispelling menstruation myths, breaking stigmas and making room for conversation about the importance of menstrual hygiene.
In terms of sanitary products, 68,340 learners have been reached thanks to the programme.
Says Natasha:
“It is essential to educate girls, especially about their own bodies—how to respect, care for, and track them. This way, they can detect any early signs of health issues. Normalising these conversations is crucial, particularly during the key age when they learn about their periods, something I wish I had known more about sooner.”
Natasha further implies that period poverty and education are both essential to the empowerment of young girls.
“I asked my social media followers what they wish they had learned earlier about their periods, and the responses were eye-opening. That’s why the YOUniques School Programme is so important. It not only addresses period poverty but also empowers girls to better care for themselves during their periods. I’m thrilled with how well it has been received and excited to see it expand to reach girls in even the most remote areas, educating them regarldess of their background.”
Dr Mhlanga adds:
“Period poverty is not just a women’s issue; it’s a human rights issue. Every girl deserves the right to health, equality and dignity, and it’s through collective efforts that we can make lasting change.”
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