Dignity 4 Her campaign supports pupils at Durban Girls’ Secondary School - IOL
DONATION DRIVE: Representatives from Humanity South Africa, Durban Girls Secondary School alumni, school leadership and teachers, together with pupils, gathered at the school during a dignity pack donation handover.
Humanity South Africa’s Dignity 4 Her campaign has distributed sanitary products to learners at Durban Girls’ Secondary School, while calling for longer-term partnerships to address period poverty.
Period poverty remains one of the quietest yet most persistent barriers to education for thousands of young women across the country. In a decisive step to tackle this issue, non-profit organisation Humanity South Africa brought its flagship Dignity 4 Her campaign to Durban Girls’ Secondary School on Tuesday, delivering essential sanitary supplies to ensure learners never have to choose between their education and their fundamental human dignity.
For many households weathering South Africa's economic climate, purchasing monthly menstrual products creates an impossible strain on already overburdened family budgets. Left without alternatives, young learners often experience severe disruption to their schooling, facing discomfort, anxiety, and avoidable absenteeism.
Humanity South Africa founder Muhammad Masoom Bagdadi emphasized that the program was about far more than distributing care packages.
“Access to sanitary pads is not simply about providing a hygiene product. It is about protecting a young girl’s dignity, supporting her education, and ensuring that her circumstances do not prevent her from participating confidently in school,” said Bagdadi. “No girl should ever have to miss school, experience embarrassment, or resort to unsuitable alternatives simply because her family cannot afford basic necessities.”
Organizers and supporters of the Dignity 4 Her campaign promoting health, confidence, and uninterrupted education.
Since its launch, the Dignity 4 Her initiative has distributed approximately 800,000 sanitary packs to vulnerable and underserved communities across South Africa.
However, organizers stress that isolated, one-off distributions are not enough to fix a systemic issue. Menstruation is a monthly reality, making consistent access to appropriate products vital; Humanity South Africa is therefore issuing an urgent call to action for local businesses, corporate social investment (CSI) funds, foundations, and community members to forge long-term partnerships.
The successful distribution at Durban Girls’ Secondary was made possible through local collaboration, supported by the Alumni of the Durban Indian Girls High School alongside the school's teaching staff and leadership.
“Every sanitary pack distributed represents more than a product,” Bagdadi added. “It represents dignity, confidence, and an opportunity for a young woman to focus entirely on her education and her future. Period poverty should never stand between a girl and her goals.”
