Minister in the presidency responsible for women, Bathabile Dlamini, has lamented the fact that men use women to fight their battles.

Dlamini, who is also president of the ANC Women's League, was reacting to allegations of rape and sexual assault levelled against ANC spokesmen Zizi Kodwa and Pule Mabe.

She was speaking at the launch of the sanitary dignity programme held in Mpumalanga on Thursday.

Both Kodwa and Mabe have agreed to step down from their positions in the ANC to deal with the allegations against them.

“Resolution 1325 of the UN says always when there are differences and fights, women are a battle ground and I personally feel like right now women are used as a battle ground [by] people that are fighting for their own things, which proves that women are made a battle ground,” she said.

Dlamini said her department has decided to launch the sanitary dignity programme in Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.

She said sanitary pads will be given for free to quintile one,two and three schools, which are regarded as poor or rural, and people in correctional facilities.

Dlamini further said all provinces will have budgets by April to ensure that they all get the free sanitary pads.