Every child deserves to go to school feeling safe, valued, and able to focus on learning, not worrying about whether the toilets are clean or whether there is water to wash their hands. South African girls should also not fear whether there is water available to help manage their menstrual needs during school.
Recognizing these needs, the second briefing of the Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities on the Sanitary Dignity Programme and Framework took place on 17 March 2026, in Parliament, Cape Town. The Departments of Basic Education, Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) and Social Development (DSD) provided an update on the status of Menstrual Health Management to address period poverty, which undermines the dignity of the South African girl child, perpetuates stigma, and negatively impacts academic performance through non-attendance of classes. A call was made for a strengthened multisectoral approach, better provincial spending, and monitoring.
During the briefing, government departments agreed that the Department of Public Works should be part of the intergovernmental approach due to school hygiene and infrastructure implications. It is imperative that the relevant departments identify gaps and preventative measures leading up to the Sanitary Colloquium taking place in Parliament, Cape Town, on 1 April 2026.
March is National Water Month, South Africa’s expansion of World Water Day, observed annually on 22 March and focusing on the importance of the sustainable management of water resources. World Water Day is spearheaded by the United Nations (UN) for longer-term action involving governments across the globe. The theme for 2026 is: “Water and Gender” with the slogan: “Where Water Flows, Equality Grows.” There is an urgency to meet Sustainable Development Goal 6 on water and sanitation by 2030 through the Master Plan, based on five key objectives for water and sanitation management advocating: Resilient and fit-for-use water supply; Universal water and sanitation provision; Equitable sharing and allocation of water resources; Effective infrastructure management, operation and maintenance; and Reduction in future water demand.
The Sanitary Dignity Programme, implemented across all 9 provinces, has provided free menstrual products to 4 million girl learners in Quintile 1 - 3, farm and special schools during 2025 to 2026. This has led to improved school attendance and performance; restored dignity and hygiene; and provided economic relief to families. Mr Likho Bottoman: Director, Social Cohesion and Equity in Education, said that “the DBE supports the Sanitary Dignity Framework to ensure that no learner is disadvantaged or excluded from learning due to menstrual health. Menstrual health is also embedded in the curriculum, particularly through Life Skills and Life Orientation. The DBE also leverages existing frameworks like the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Care and Support for Teaching and Learning (CSTL) framework to enhance WASH implementation.”
The National Guidelines on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Schools (WinS) reflect commitment to creating school environments that uphold the health, safety, and dignity of every learner, along with Guidelines offering practical tools to support the daily management of sanitation facilities, promote hygiene education, and ensure that menstrual health is addressed not as a side issue, but as an essential part of learner wellbeing and participation.
Through school-based tools such as a self-assessment checklist and a 21-day in-school hygiene programme integrated into Life Orientation, learners build lifelong healthy habits. Mr Bottoman added that “In pilot schools, we have already seen positive shifts in learner engagement, community involvement, and overall school pride.”
The DBE is responsible for setting norms and standards and to intervene, through government structure, for a more rigorous process of monitoring, oversight and expenditure tracking of the Education Infrastructure (EIG) Grant transferred to the various Provincial Education Departments (PEDs). On the 2018 Sanitation Appropriate for Education (SAFE) backlog, the DBE is at a substantial completion rate of 99% due to challenges experienced by implementing agents, planning weaknesses, and incomplete projects which the Department took over and finalised. Basic Education Minister, Ms Siviwe Gwarube recently indicated that the slow progress, in respect of infrastructure for inclusive education to accommodate children living with disabilities, also requires enhanced effort and a multisectoral approach going forward.
As South Africa advances toward the 1 April Sanitary Colloquium, the 2026 World Water Day theme, "Water and Gender: Where Water Flows, Equality Grows,” serves as a powerful call to action. Ensuring reliable water access in schools is not just about hygiene, it is about empowering girls to attend class with confidence, breaking cycles of period poverty, and building a foundation for gender equality that flows from every tap.