EWN Article: Equality Collective urges government to implement maternal support grant
Activist organisation, the Equality Collective, has called for the approval and implementation of the proposed Maternal Support Grant. The monthly grant is targeted at vulnerable pregnant women to improve maternal and child health, starting from the second trimester. As a designed extension of the Child Support Grant, it aims to reduce malnutrition, poverty, and healthcare […]
eNCA Article: SONA Promises vs Reality – Hunger and poverty still plague South Africa
In his State of the Nation Address last year, President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged that more needs to be done to address hunger and inequality, especially among women and children. He emphasised government’s commitment to social protection, noting that around 60 percent of the national budget is spent on the social wage, including health, education, social […]
Bhekisisa Article: The real ‘nanny tax’? Not being able to breastfeed your own baby
When Priscilla* had her first child, it never even occurred to her that she could keep her job and breastfeed. Breaks for breastfeeding and expressing milk were for office workers, not live-in domestic workers like her. So, during her eight-week maternity leave, she carefully planned out how things would work. Priscilla’s employers already told her […]
Cape Talk Interview: Maternal hunger leads to child malnutrition
Ahead of the State of the Nation address, Cape Talk spoke to Senior ECD Coordinator at Equality Collective, and a member of the MSG Advocacy Coalition, Tshepo Mantje, about the Maternal Support Grant (MSG).
PowerFM Interview: When mothers go hungry, children pay the price
Ahead of the State of the Nation address, Liezel Engelbrecht, Nutrition Lead for the Hold My Hand Accelerator at DGMT, spoke to PowerFM about child malnutrition rooted in maternal hunger. Research shows that babies born to food-insecure mothers face a far greater risk of low birth weight, stunting and long-term developmental harm.