Parliament, Thursday, 19 March 2026 – The Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities was briefed by the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, the Department of Basic Education and the Department of Social Development on the implementation of the Sanitary Dignity Programme.
Committee chairperson Ms Liezl van der Merwe said, “The Sanitary Dignity Programme (SDP) is not just a line item. We know that it is a lifeline to many of the young schoolgirls that we look after. This committee therefore treats the SDP as a strategic priority. The SDP featured in our legacy report from the sixth Parliament and it requires consistent oversight from this committee in the seventh administration.”
Chairperson van der Merwe went on to state, “When we met the national and provincial departments of Social Development; Basic Education; Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities; and National Treasury last year on the implementation of the SDP, we received substantive briefings.
“Today we invited these departments back to report on progress since then, to account on the identified gaps and to present corrective measures. The SDP we know has experienced delays and challenges which committee members have seen firsthand in their own constituencies”.
“In our meeting last year, we raised the alarm over funds that were allocated for the SDP but returned to Treasury and so we called for funds to be ring-fenced. Thus, it was important for us to get an update. Given the thinness of today’s submissions one can only make a reasonable conclusion that the SDP is not getting the attention it deserves or that we have not been given the assistance or information this morning to conduct our constitutional oversight responsibilities.”
The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities in their contribution that in-terms of research, observations, and interviews held with learners and educators, the SDP has yielded positive results and improved school attendance.
The department reported that the SDP restored dignity and hygiene. Girl learners no longer need to rely on unsafe alternatives like usage of newspapers or rags, thereby preventing infections and enhancing confidence. The programme has seen improved school and academic performance by minimising disruptions during menstruation, girls are better able to concentrate and maintain their education.
The Department of Basic Education also noted that while this intervention has made meaningful progress, the current allocation remains insufficient to achieve full coverage across all quintiles and that this remains an area that requires sustained attention.
In welcoming the department’s presentation, Ms van der Merwe said there is a need for one implementing department to streamline the SDP to prevent some of the fragmentation and uneven performance in the SDP reported by the department. She also noted that considering the importance of the programme and its impact on the lives of young women, it is unforgivable that some provinces are unable spend the monies allocated to them optimally.
The committee also raised serious questions and concerns regarding the implementation and oversight of the programme. Some committee members expressed concerns about the reported 99% budget utilisation by the Department of Social Development, questioning how the figure translates to the actual number of beneficiaries, especially learners in need. The committee highlighted the importance of identifying schools that qualify for the programme particularly in regions where many schools report they have never received sanitary products.
The committee requested clarity on how targets are set by the departments of Basic Education and Social Development. Some committee members pointed out discrepancies between the number of beneficiaries projected and the actual need. Furthermore, the committee called for better communication between departments to ensure that schools are aware of the processes to apply for SDP.
The committee also questioned strategies in place to reinforce local manufacturing of sanitary products, which will drive job creation and economic transformation. Members probed how the departments prevent cost inflation in public-private partnerships and emphasised the need for accountability and transparency in procurement processes.
Concerns were also raised about the lack of adequate sanitary disposal facilities at schools, and the committee called for interventions to address these infrastructure challenges.
The departments were also asked how they monitor the programme’s effectiveness on a quarterly basis and were also requested to provide a breakdown of how many learners each province is serving.
The committee will meet next week and will primarily focus on the safety of sanitary products following a recent study by the University of the Free State. Chairperson van der Merwe indicated that the departments of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities; Health; and Small Business Development, as well as the University of the Free State would brief the committee on Tuesday, 24 March 2026.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON WOMEN YOUTH AND PERSONS WITH DISABILTIES, MS LIEZL VAN DER MERWE.
For media inquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Yoliswa Landu (Ms)
Cell: 081 497 4694
E-mail: ylandu@parliament.gov.za
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