---
title: "Unlocking the true value of women’s work in school nutrition"
description: "This Women’s Month — 30 years since the end of apartheid — demands meaningful change. We need to shift from words to action. Recognising the work of the women who feed the learners in our communities is a powerful starting point."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "GENDER EQUALITY OP-ED"
author: "Matshidiso Lencoasa and Nina Benjamin"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/matshidisoetaldailymaverick-co-za/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-08-19-unlocking-the-true-value-of-womens-work-in-school-nutrition/"
published: "2024-08-19T22:25:02"
updated: "2024-08-19T22:25:06"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 1092
---

# Unlocking the true value of women’s work in school nutrition

> This Women’s Month — 30 years since the end of apartheid — demands meaningful change. We need to shift from words to action. Recognising the work of the women who feed the learners in our communities is a powerful starting point.

By Matshidiso Lencoasa and Nina Benjamin · Published 20 August 2024, 00:25 SAST · Updated 20 August 2024, 00:25 SAST

## Key points
- President Cyril Ramaphosa's call for inclusive economic growth that affirms the role of women and youth in the economy at the opening of Parliament is a commendable step, but as we mark 30 years since the end of apartheid during Women’s Month, the time for meaningful action to address the gender-based injustices in our society is now, starting with recognising and valuing the invaluable contributions of the women who feed our communities' learners through the National School Nutrition Programme.
- President Cyril Ramaphosa emphasises the need for inclusive economic growth, particularly for women and youth, at the opening of Parliament on 18 July.
- Women's Month calls for meaningful change, starting with recognising the vital role of women who provide school meals through the National School Nutrition Programme.
- Despite progress, challenges persist in the NSNP, including funding issues and late payments to service providers, while the valuable contributions of female food handlers remain overlooked.
- Volunteer food handlers, predominantly mothers of pupils, receive minimal compensation and lack access to UIF benefits, highlighting the undervaluation of their essential care work.

## Content

At the opening of Parliament on 18 July, President Cyril Ramaphosa recognised that inclusive economic growth “demands that we affirm the position of women and youth in the economy”. In the face of the gender-based injustices entrenched in our society, this aspiration is a bold affirmation of our resolve to create a more just and equitable society for all women.

However, this Women’s Month — 30 years since the end of apartheid — demands meaningful change. We need to shift from words to action. Recognising the work of the women who feed the learners in our communities is a powerful starting point.

#### **Unlocking the full promise of the school nutrition programme**

The National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) has come a long way since its 1994 initiation as Nelson Mandela’s [flagship presidential project](https://www.news.uct.ac.za/article/-2012-08-29-school-feeding-in-south-africa-towards-carnegie-iii-conference-at-uct) to becoming a game-changing policy intervention that bridges the nutrition gap for under-served learners.

Through this programme, [more than 10 million learners](https://www.treasury.gov.za/documents/national%20budget/2024/ene/Vote%2016%20Basic%20Education.pdf) benefit from school meals and it is linked to [significant improvements](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0190740921001080) in school attendance and academic achievement, especially among learners who attend schools in rural communities.

For many learners, the food they eat at school is the only full, nutritious meal they receive daily. Despite its ongoing challenges, the NSNP has also been a powerful gender equality intervention through alleviating the burden on caregivers (at least 92% of whom [are women](https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Colleges/Human-Sciences/News-&-events/Articles/Women,-men-and-caregiving-in-South-Africa#:~:text=In%20South%20Africa%2C%20at%20least,include%20mothers%2C%20grandmothers%20and%20aunts.)) and breaking down barriers for [girl learners](https://www.uj.ac.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/tbf-nutrition-report-2015-final-web-version.pdf) to attain education.

Despite the NSNP’s remarkable strides in redressing our socioeconomic challenges, it also mirrors the entrenched inequalities that hinder our nation’s progress and potential for prosperity.

Challenges in the programme — including [funding disbursements](https://pmg.org.za/committee-meeting/37835/), [procurement hurdles](https://witness.co.za/news/2023/04/14/nutrition-programme-fails-to-deliver-food-to-schools/), late service delivery and [delayed payments](https://evaluations.dpme.gov.za/images/gallery/DPME%20-%20National%20School%20Nutrition.pdf) to service providers — are persistent and widely acknowledged.

However, what [often goes unnoticed](https://www.lrs.org.za/2022/01/22/how-does-the-family-and-school-community-value-the-role-of-volunteer-food-handlers-in-meeting-the-immediate-need-of-feeding-school-children/) is the work of the women who feed the learners in schools. Their significant contributions and experiences, which are essential to the programme’s daily operations, are neglected. The invisibility of women’s work — especially our care work — limits our potential to drive sustainable, economic growth and instead perpetuates gender inequality.

#### **Food handlers are misclassified as volunteers**

The International Labour Organization aptly defines the care economy as the vital sector that underpins human wellbeing and sustains life. Volunteer food handlers — [women](https://www.lrs.org.za/2024/05/17/valuing-care-work-what-are-the-prospects-for-women-in-the-national-school-nutrition-programme/) who are mothers or guardians of learners — form part of the care economy as they prepare and provide nutritious meals that support human health and promote the dignity and quality of life of indigent learners.

Moreover, the work of the food handlers extends beyond preparing food; their care work involves social interaction, [emotional support](https://volunteering.org.za/school-and-educare-project/) and [community building](https://www.lrs.org.za/2021/12/09/the-role-of-volunteer-food-handlers-in-the-national-school-nutrition-programme/), all of which are essential for learners to feel engaged and motivated, and develop a love for learning and school.

Unfortunately, like other forms of care work, this work is [economically undervalued](https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/CSW/61/meetings/Naomi%20Wekwete%20-%20The%20care%20economy%20in%20Southern%20Africa.pdf), which perpetuates poor working conditions, low pay and limited social protection, leaving the food handlers [feeling vulnerable and disenfranchised](https://www.lrs.org.za/2022/01/22/how-does-the-family-and-school-community-value-the-role-of-volunteer-food-handlers-in-meeting-the-immediate-need-of-feeding-school-children/).

Despite the programme’s three-decade span, the women spearheading the initiative remain classified as “volunteers”, even though they have formal two-year contracts, pay [UIF contributions](https://www.kzneducation.gov.za/images/documents/Circulars/GeneralCirculars/KZN_CIRCULAR_NO_74_OF_2022-PAYMENT_OF_STIPENDS_OF_EPWP_BENEFICIARIES_WHO_WORK_AS_CHIEF_FOOD_HANDLERS.pdf), and work for up to six hours a day with clear job descriptions and responsibilities.

The contracts they sign are rigorously regulated and reflect closely supervised duties and correctly include a Code of Conduct, given the nature of this work.

Moreover, according to the Department of Labour’s [Code of Good Practice: Who is an Employee?](https://www.labour.gov.za/DocumentCenter/Code%20of%20Good%20Practice/Employment%20Equity/Code%20of%20Good%20Practice%20on%20the%20Prevention%20and%20Elimination%20of%20Harassment%20in%20the%20Workplace.pdf), an individual is considered an employee if they have worked for an employer for an average of at least 40 hours per month over the preceding three months.

Food handlers report working up to 120 hours per month over 24 months. Their exclusion from employee status and benefits is further compounded by their designation as volunteers, which perpetuates the systemic oversight of their invaluable care work and contributions, effectively rendering them invisible.

#### **How are food handlers compensated for their labour?**

In South Africa, about 61,000 volunteer food handlers, mostly mothers of pupils, play a vital role in providing school meals. However, their dedication is met with a modest monthly stipend of only R1,360 to R1,840, underscoring the disparity between their valuable contributions and the compensation they receive. The handlers also struggle to [access their UIF benefits](https://www.lrs.org.za/2023/10/19/access-denied-a-woman-workers-struggle-for-social-protection/), leaving them even more vulnerable and without a vital safety net.

Compensation for the food handlers comes from the Expanded Public Works Programme’s social sector line item, which has seen significant budget cuts (before accounting for inflation) over the past few years.

In the cost-containment measures implemented ahead of last year’s Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement, this programme’s budget was adjusted downwards from February 2023/24’s R426.48-million to November’s R395.91-million — a 7.2% budget cut before even accounting for inflation. Alarmingly, the 2024/25 budget has proposed a massive 22.8% cut to this programme’s funding.

By contrast, the NSNP’s budget has generally increased above inflation each year and tends to be pegged to food inflation and rising demand for the intervention, a move civil society has [welcomed](https://www.news24.com/citypress/voices/matshidiso-lencoasa-schools-feeding-programme-please-save-the-children-20231029). While the [NSNP’s reach grows each year](https://pmg.org.za/files/180627KZN_Nutrition.ppt), meaning [more learners to feed](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-05-28-npo-sounds-alarm-over-rising-child-hunger-in-sa/), the value of the food handlers’ labour dwindles — they are expected to do more with fewer resources.

Our national budget is not just a financial document; it is a reflection of our government’s values, priorities and vision for the future. If the government seeks to contribute to building a society that values women’s work, it must allocate adequate resources and support for food handlers. These dedicated women serve as a buffer against the harsh effects of resource scarcity on learners, even going as far as to [dip into their own limited finances](https://www.news24.com/citypress/voices/matshidiso-lencoasa-schools-feeding-programme-please-save-the-children-20231029) to ensure the learners’ needs are met.

#### **Budgeting with a gender lens can reverse these inequalities**

Civil society has [hailed](https://budgetjusticesa.org/assets/downloads/2023BudgetBJCSubmissiontotheFinanceCommittees.pdf) the National Treasury’s [commitment](https://cge.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/CGE-Gender-Responsive-Budgeting-Framework.pdf) to a Gender-Responsive Budget as a major victory for gender equality. As the upcoming Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement takes shape, this commitment must be translated into concrete action.

This could be a vital opportunity to shine a light on the crucial role of these food handlers, mostly women, and work towards a more equitable allocation of resources that recognises their tireless efforts.

While fiscal constraints are a reality, we must address the deeply profound issue of women’s work being consistently undervalued and underpaid. It’s essential to recognise and remunerate their contributions fairly, rather than perpetuating a system that assigns lesser value to their efforts. **DM**

*Lencoasa is a budget researcher at SECTION27 and chairperson of the Budget Justice Coalition. Benjamin is the gender programme manager at the Labour Research Service (LRS).*