UDC fulfils its 2024 pledge to tackle period poverty in a P69 million nationwide initiative that addresses “social issues such as absenteeism and dropout rates linked to menstrual health challenges”
GAZETTE REPORTER
In a landmark development on Monday this week, the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) government fulfilled its 2024 manifesto pledge of distribution of free sanitary pads to all schoolgirls.
Launching the P69 million nationwide initiative in Mogoditshane on Monday, President Duma Boko said 400,000 sanitary pads will be distributed to female students up to the age of 19 in schools throughout Botswana under the programme.
“This initiative is meant to uphold the dignity and human rights of schoolgirls, addressing social issues such as absenteeism and dropout rates linked to menstrual health challenges,” the President said.
Human rights “milestone”
He stated that this should also ease the financial burden on families and positively impact the lives of young women across the country.
Through the initiative, the government has committed P69 million to reach 491,576 schoolgirls, including 10 percent living with disabilities. “This marks a milestone, not just in health policy but in human rights. What we are doing today is restoring the dignity of the girl child,” he added.
The government’s first consignment of pads came through a partnership with Bloom Sanitary Pads, a 100 percent citizen-owned company based in Selebi-Phikwe. The rollout finally puts into action a long-delayed policy.
Dignity of the girl child
In 2017, Parliament overwhelmingly adopted a motion to provide free sanitary pads to all schoolgirls. Proponents argued the policy would improve access to education in a country where many families cannot afford them.
Then deputy education minister Moisiraela Goya had argued that the move “would instill some dignity to the girl child”. However, successive governments failed to implement the programme, often citing budget constraints.
The 2024 elections reshaped Botswana’s political landscape when the UDC rose to power on a platform of social reforms. In the February budget debate, finance minister Ndaba Gaolathe introduced a line-item to fund the national pad initiative.
Significant barrier to education
“This intervention is expected to improve school attendance by removing a significant barrier to education,” he stated in Parliament. The current launch officially fulfils that long-standing promise.
Research shows that access to free menstrual products can significantly improve girls’ education. The United Nations estimates that globally, one in 10 schoolgirls in Africa misses class during her period.
In Botswana, missing school for up to a week each month can mean losing 10–20% of a girl’s education, significantly increasing dropout risks. Health experts also warn that lack of access to proper sanitary materials can lead to infections due to use of unsafe alternatives.
Educational gender gap
By providing sanitary pads, the government hopes to keep girls in school consistently and reduce the educational gender gap. Botswana thus joins a growing number of African nations addressing menstrual health as a national issue.
Kenya mandated free pads for schoolgirls in 2017 while Zambia followed suit in 2019. South Africa and Namibia have similar programmes targeting low-income communities. This month, Ghana also unveiled its free sanitary pads initiative.