A record with a cause

North West University’s GoAllOut student chapter attempted a project to break records and serve the community. The project is called Pad the Way, which aims to bring attention to period poverty and the education surrounding menstrual hygiene. the plan: beat the Guiness World Record for the longest line of sanitary pads.

The effect of Period Poverty in SA

Period poverty, an alarming consequence of socioeconomic disparities, continues to cast a shadow over the lives of countless women and girls in South Africa. Insufficient access to menstrual hygiene products, coupled with the persistent stigma surrounding menstruation, deepens the divide and perpetuates a cycle of inequality. Research reveals that an estimated 30% of girls in South Africa miss school during their periods due to limited access to sanitary products. This further exacerbates educational disparities and hinders their chances of building a better future. Furthermore, the high cost of menstrual products relative to household incomes creates additional financial strain, forcing many to resort to unhygienic alternatives such as rags, newspaper, or even leaves. These makeshift solutions not only pose serious health risks but also underscore the urgent need for sustainable change.

So how do we fix this?

Pad The Way

This record to beat was for the longest line of menstrual pads, with the previous record was held by Lovely Professional University, Punjab, with a length of 3240 meters.

Longest line of sanitary pads | Guinness World Records

With help from Bidvest Steiner and other corporate donors, GoAllOut collected more than 100 000 sanitary pads for this event. Meaning the length of the sanitary pad line was over 6km of pads, equaling 60 000 pads used so far.

Contributing further

Beyond the donation of the pads, Bidvest Steiner also installed sanitary product vending machines and dispensers in malls and schools around Mahikeng. It’s projects like this that can benefit to making South Africa a more accessible and equal place to be. Sanitary pad access will help students and workers across the country, and with the right influence, the rest of Africa.

References

https://news.nwu.ac.za/six-km-sanitary-pads-may-score-nwu-record 

North West students attempt to set world record for longest line of sanitary pads