An Argument for Menstrual Equality - By Nadine Rajoo Govender

Written By: Nadine Rajoo Govender

Category: Essay

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

Nadine Rajoo Govender presents a compelling essay titled "An Argument for Menstrual Equality," featured in Hashtag Kalakar's Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. In this thought-provoking piece, Nadine delves into the pressing issue of menstrual equality, advocating for free access to sanitary products as a fundamental right for women and girls. By drawing comparisons with the availability of free condoms, she highlights the need to address period poverty and ensure that no woman or girl is left without this essential necessity.

About the Work

Nadine's essay resonates with a powerful call for social justice, emphasizing the financial burdens faced by women due to menstruation. Through vivid examples and poignant reasoning, she underscores the impact of inadequate access to sanitary products on education, dignity, and equality. Her work challenges societal norms and advocates for a shift in public policy to support menstrual health as a basic right, urging governments to prioritize this vital issue for the betterment of future generations.

An Argument for Menstrual Equality

Original Submission by Nadine Rajoo Govender

Why Should Sanitary Pads and Tampons Be Free Instead of Condoms? An Argument for Menstrual Equality

I personally believe that sanitary pads and tampons should be provided free of charge to women and girls, just as condoms are made freely available in many public facilities. My argument is not that condoms should no longer be free or that sexual health is unimportant, because preventing sexually transmitted infections, HIV and unwanted pregnancies is extremely important. However, I strongly believe that menstruation deserves the same level of attention, accessibility and consideration. There is something fundamentally unfair about expecting women and girls to pay for something their bodies naturally do every single month, while other essential health products are made available at no cost. Sex is a choice, but menstruation is not.

Nobody chooses when their menstrual cycle begins, how long it lasts or how heavy their bleeding will be. It is a biological process that millions of women experience throughout their lives, usually beginning during adolescence and continuing until menopause. Despite being a completely normal bodily function, menstruation comes with a financial responsibility that women cannot simply opt out of. Every month, women are expected to purchase sanitary pads, tampons, panty liners and other menstrual products to manage their periods safely and comfortably. These products are not luxuries, fashionable accessories or optional purchases. They are necessities. A woman cannot decide that she does not feel like menstruating this month and therefore does not need sanitary products. She cannot postpone her period until payday, wait for a special offer or simply ignore the bleeding because she has other expenses. Her body continues regardless of whether she has money in her bank account. This is precisely why I believe menstrual products should be free.

In South Africa, where many households already struggle with unemployment, poverty, rising food prices, electricity costs, transport expenses and other basic necessities, purchasing sanitary products can become another financial burden. Consider a young girl living in a household where her parents are already struggling to put food on the table. She might need to ask her mother for money to purchase sanitary pads, but her mother may not have any money available. What is that young girl supposed to do? Should she stay home from school because she cannot afford something her body naturally requires? Should she use toilet paper, old pieces of cloth or other unsuitable materials because she has no alternative? Should she have to experience embarrassment and anxiety simply because her family cannot afford menstrual products?

I find it unacceptable that something as natural as menstruation can interfere with a girl's education, confidence, dignity and opportunities. Education is supposed to be accessible to every child, regardless of their financial circumstances, yet period poverty continues to create barriers for girls who cannot afford basic menstrual hygiene products. A girl who misses several days of school every month because she does not have sanitary pads is already at a disadvantage compared with classmates who can attend every day without worrying about their periods. Missing lessons can affect her academic performance, examinations, participation and confidence. Over time, these missed opportunities can contribute to educational inequality. We frequently speak about encouraging young girls to remain in school, pursue their dreams and become independent women, but how can we genuinely support them if we overlook such a basic requirement?

Providing free sanitary products in schools would be a practical and meaningful way to support girls. Every school should have accessible sanitary pads and tampons in bathrooms, administration offices or designated hygiene stations so that learners can obtain them privately whenever necessary. A girl should never have to explain her financial situation to a teacher, approach several classmates asking for help or publicly announce that she has started menstruating. Access should be simple, discreet and respectful.

Furthermore, free menstrual products should not only be available to schoolchildren. Women working in offices, factories, hospitals, restaurants, shopping centres and other workplaces also need access to these products. Imagine a woman arriving at work in the morning and unexpectedly starting her period. Perhaps she has already used the last sanitary pad in her handbag, and payday is still several days away. She should not have to leave work, borrow money or spend money she has reserved for transport or food just to purchase a sanitary pad. Workplaces should recognise menstruation as an ordinary part of women's health and provide free products in their bathrooms, just as they provide toilet paper, soap and other basic hygiene facilities.

I also believe that public institutions, universities, colleges, clinics, hospitals, community centres and government buildings should provide free menstrual products. If the government can recognise the importance of making condoms accessible to the public, it should also recognise the importance of making sanitary products accessible. There is an argument that free condoms serve a greater public health purpose because they help prevent HIV, sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies. I understand that argument, and I am not suggesting that condoms should become unavailable or that their distribution should be reduced. In fact, I support free access to condoms because everyone deserves access to reproductive health resources.

However, I question why menstrual health is not treated with the same urgency. Preventing an infection is important, but preventing a girl from experiencing period poverty is important too. Both issues deserve government attention, funding and public awareness. We should not have to choose one form of healthcare over another when both serve essential needs.

The comparison is particularly interesting because condoms are generally used during consensual sexual activity, which is a personal decision, whereas menstruation is an unavoidable biological process. Of course, sexual activity is not always a straightforward choice, and sexual violence, coercion and reproductive health challenges must also be considered. Nevertheless, my central argument remains that menstruation is not optional. A woman cannot choose whether her uterus sheds its lining. She cannot control the exact date her period arrives, and she cannot decide to stop bleeding because she has insufficient money. Yet society expects her to manage this natural process by purchasing products that are often surprisingly expensive.

The cost of sanitary products may appear insignificant to someone who has a comfortable income, but for someone earning a low salary or living below the poverty line, those costs can make a considerable difference. A packet of sanitary pads might seem affordable in isolation, but purchasing one every month, sometimes several packets depending on the person's menstrual flow, quickly becomes an ongoing expense. Some women experience particularly heavy periods and may need to change their sanitary products frequently. Others have longer menstrual cycles and require additional supplies. Women with irregular periods may also need to keep products available because they cannot accurately predict when their bleeding will begin.

Then there are women who require different products for different days of their cycles. A woman might use regular pads during the day, thicker overnight pads while sleeping and panty liners towards the end of her period. Tampons are another option, particularly for women who prefer them for sports, swimming or everyday comfort. These products all come at a cost. Menstrual needs are not identical, and women should have access to a variety of safe products rather than being limited to whatever happens to be cheapest.

I also want to highlight the importance of dignity. Menstruation is already surrounded by unnecessary embarrassment, shame and social stigma in many communities. Girls are sometimes taught to hide their sanitary products, whisper when discussing their periods and pretend that menstruation does not exist. Some women are uncomfortable asking for assistance because they fear being judged or laughed at. This attitude needs to change. Menstruation is not dirty, disgusting or something women should apologise for. It is a natural bodily function, and women should be able to discuss it openly without feeling ashamed.

Making sanitary products freely available would send a powerful message that menstrual health matters and that women deserve access to basic hygiene without humiliation. It would also help normalise conversations about menstruation among boys and men. Menstrual health should not be considered exclusively a women's issue that nobody else needs to understand. Fathers, brothers, teachers, employers, policymakers and community leaders all have a role to play in creating an environment where women are supported. A father should not feel uncomfortable purchasing sanitary pads for his daughter, and a male teacher should not dismiss a girl who needs assistance because he finds menstruation an awkward subject. These are ordinary situations that should be approached with maturity and understanding.

Another important consideration is the health risks associated with inadequate menstrual hygiene. When women cannot afford appropriate menstrual products, they may resort to using unsuitable alternatives, reusing materials that are difficult to clean properly or wearing products for longer than recommended. Depending on the material and circumstances, these practices can increase the risk of irritation, discomfort and infection. Women should not have to compromise their health because of financial hardship. Access to clean, appropriate menstrual products, clean water and private bathroom facilities is essential for maintaining menstrual hygiene. Free sanitary products alone will not solve every menstrual health challenge, but they would remove one significant financial obstacle.

Furthermore, providing free products would benefit women who are homeless, unemployed, living in shelters or experiencing difficult personal circumstances. A woman living on the streets may have to prioritise finding food, drinking water and somewhere safe to sleep. Purchasing sanitary pads might not even be possible. Yet her menstrual cycle continues regardless of where she lives or what circumstances she faces. Women in shelters and temporary accommodation should not have to depend entirely on donations or the generosity of strangers to meet a basic biological need. Government-funded menstrual hygiene programmes could provide these women with consistent access to sanitary products and other essential supplies.

I also believe that making menstrual products free would help reduce the financial inequality between men and women. Women already face numerous additional expenses throughout their lives, including pregnancy-related costs, contraception, reproductive healthcare and products specifically designed for their bodies. Menstruation is another recurring expense that women cannot avoid. Over the course of several decades, the cumulative cost can become substantial. It is unfair to dismiss this expense simply because it happens gradually. A monthly expense is still an expense, and for a woman managing a household, supporting children or earning a modest salary, every rand matters.

Imagine what a woman could do with the money she spends every year on sanitary products. She could put it towards groceries, transport, school fees, electricity, savings or other household responsibilities. Removing the cost of basic menstrual products would not make every woman's financial situation easier overnight, but it would provide meaningful relief.

Critics might argue that making sanitary products free would be too expensive for the government or that taxpayers should not be expected to fund something that individuals can purchase themselves. I disagree with the idea that affordability should determine whether a basic health necessity deserves public support. Governments already spend money on public healthcare, education, sanitation and disease prevention because these services benefit society as a whole. Menstrual health should be included in that conversation.

There are practical ways to introduce such a programme without necessarily placing an unreasonable financial burden on public finances. The government could negotiate bulk purchasing agreements with manufacturers, establish partnerships with local businesses, support South African manufacturers and distribute products through existing public facilities. Schools, clinics, hospitals and community centres already have infrastructure that could be used to distribute sanitary products. Programmes could initially prioritise low-income communities and public schools before expanding to additional facilities. This would allow the government to assess demand, monitor distribution and improve the programme over time. Supporting local manufacturers could also create economic opportunities while ensuring that products remain affordable and accessible.

Another criticism might be that women should simply budget for their sanitary products in the same way they budget for groceries, toiletries and other household necessities. However, this argument overlooks the reality of poverty. Budgeting cannot magically create money that does not exist. A mother who has R200 available for the day may have to decide whether to purchase bread, milk, electricity or sanitary pads. These should not be competing priorities. Nobody should have to choose between feeding their children and maintaining their menstrual hygiene.

It is also important to recognise that not every woman has the same financial support system. Some girls live with grandparents, some women raise children alone, and others support entire households on one income. Assuming that everyone can comfortably afford menstrual products ignores the economic realities experienced by millions of people.

I would also argue that providing free sanitary products should not be seen as encouraging irresponsibility or unnecessary spending. Women are not asking for expensive beauty treatments, designer clothing or luxury purchases. They are asking for basic products that allow them to manage a natural bodily function safely. There is a significant difference between providing something people want and providing something people need. Sanitary pads and tampons fall firmly into the second category.

Nobody should be expected to prove that they are poor enough to deserve menstrual products. Access should be available without unnecessary paperwork, embarrassing questions or complicated application procedures. If products are placed in public bathrooms and educational institutions, women can simply take what they need when they need it.

Of course, a successful programme would require proper planning. Products must be hygienic, individually packaged where appropriate, stored correctly and regularly restocked. Different absorbencies and sizes should be available to accommodate different menstrual needs. Tampons should also be included for women who prefer them, alongside sanitary pads and other suitable menstrual products. Women should be given information about safe use and changing intervals, particularly younger girls who may be experiencing menstruation for the first time. Education and accessibility should go hand in hand.

It is equally important that free products do not become a substitute for improving the quality of menstrual healthcare. Women experiencing unusually heavy bleeding, severe pain or irregular cycles should have access to medical advice and appropriate treatment. Menstrual health involves much more than purchasing sanitary pads, and public policy should recognise the full range of women's reproductive health needs. However, providing free menstrual products would be an excellent starting point.

I would particularly like to see South Africa take menstrual inequality more seriously because we cannot claim to support gender equality while ignoring a basic biological difference that has a direct financial impact on women. Equality does not always mean treating everybody identically. Sometimes it means recognising that different people have different needs and ensuring that those needs are addressed fairly. Men and women do not experience menstruation in the same way, and pretending otherwise does not create equality. Providing free sanitary products acknowledges a real need and removes an unnecessary barrier to dignity, education, employment and participation in everyday life.

We should also consider the message this would send to young girls growing up in our country. Imagine a twelve-year-old girl experiencing her first period at school and discovering that she can simply visit the bathroom and obtain a sanitary pad without fear, embarrassment or financial pressure. Imagine her understanding that menstruation is normal, that she has nothing to hide and that her school recognises her needs. That small act of providing a free sanitary pad could make an enormous difference to how she experiences an important stage of growing up. It could replace anxiety with reassurance and embarrassment with confidence. Sometimes meaningful social change begins with something as simple as ensuring that nobody is left without a basic necessity.

Ultimately, I am not arguing against free condoms. I am arguing for equal recognition of menstrual health. Condoms are important, and they should remain freely available to protect public health. However, sanitary pads and tampons deserve the same consideration because women should not have to pay a recurring financial penalty for something they never chose. Sex is an option, but having a menstrual cycle is not. That statement captures the heart of my argument.

A woman cannot switch off her period, negotiate with her hormones or tell her body to wait until she receives her salary. Menstruation happens whether she is wealthy or poor, employed or unemployed, married or single, young or older. It is a shared biological reality, not a personal lifestyle choice. If society is prepared to recognise that access to condoms is important enough to justify free distribution, then it should be equally prepared to recognise that access to sanitary products is essential to women's health and dignity.

We should not have to wait for another generation of girls to experience period poverty before taking action. We should not expect mothers to sacrifice grocery money, schoolgirls to miss lessons or working women to struggle through their day because they cannot afford a packet of sanitary pads. A basic necessity should never become a privilege reserved for those who can afford it.

My position is simple: sanitary pads and tampons should be free in public schools, universities, workplaces, clinics, hospitals and community facilities, with particular attention given to communities where poverty makes menstrual products difficult to access. This is not about taking something away from one group to benefit another. It is about extending support where it is urgently needed. Women deserve to menstruate with dignity, without shame and without having to calculate whether they can afford their next period.

If we genuinely believe in equality, public health and the wellbeing of future generations, then free menstrual products should not be treated as an unreasonable demand. They should be recognised for what they are: a basic necessity that every woman and girl deserves access to, regardless of the money in her pocket.

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar is an esteemed platform celebrating diverse voices in literature. It encourages participants from around the world to share their unique perspectives through poetry, essays, and creative writing. This competition fosters creativity and ignites conversations around pressing global issues, providing a stage for both emerging and established writers to make their mark.

We extend our sincere gratitude to Nadine Rajoo Govender for her insightful essay, "An Argument for Menstrual Equality," a profound contribution to the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Her passionate advocacy for menstrual equality enriches the dialogue on women's health and social justice. We are honored to feature her voice and thank her for raising awareness on this critical issue.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.