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.

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 to becoming a game-changing policy intervention that bridges the nutrition gap for under-served learners.

Through this programme, more than 10 million learners benefit from school meals and it is linked to significant improvements in school attendance and academic achievement, especially among learners who attend schools in rural communities.

For many learners, the...