02 Jun 2025

Government has expended more than P69 million for the provision of free sanitary pads to over 491 000 young girls across the country through the National Sanitary Pads Distribution initiative.

Launching the initiative at Mogoditshane Senior Secondary School yesterday, President Advocate Duma Boko said as a government based on respect for human rights, they found it befitting to provide female learners with free sanitary pads to restore the dignity of the girl-child and empower them.

Of the 491 576 young girls who would benefit from the initiative, President Boko said 10 per cent were those living with disability.

Through the initiative themed: Dignity to the Girl Child, he said government wanted to ease the burden on parents, pressure on society and to nurture young people instilled with a sense of dignity. 

He therefore, expressed gratitude to officially launch an initiative he long pioneered even before becoming a President. 

“We appreciate challenges that our young learners faced, often resulting in absenteeism, sometimes dropouts, but overall a violation of the dignity of the girl child,” he said.

President Boko commended United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund for its support and for offering counselling and guidance to the girl child. He also encouraged learners to focus on their studies and on being a better version of themselves and guard against negative influences of  social media.

Talking to the initiative, Minister of Child Welfare and Basic Education, Ms Nono Kgafela-Mokoka said the sanitary pads would be distributed freely to all female learners aged up to 19 years.

 “The initiative is more than a box of pads. It is a symbol of respect, progress and national pride. So we are here to also cultivate and encourage a culture of open communication between parents and children on issues of reproductive health, which culturally are a taboo,” she added. 

Ms Kgafela-Mokoka said currently, the ministry was developing guidelines on the distribution and disposal of sanitary pads especially that some of the recipients, who fall within the age cohort, were out of school youth.

She said guidance and counselling guidelines would be used to inform the distribution and disposal of sanitary towels. To ensure protection of the environment, the minister said the ministry was introducing incinerators for safer disposal.

The launch, the minister said resonated with the ministry’s objective to ensure a child-friendly and inclusive learning environment through existing legal frameworks and policies, such as the Education Act and the Children’s Act.

“The Education Act comprehensively provides care and support services to learners, and it has already been reviewed through the support of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation and United Nations Population,” she said.

Ms Kgafela-Mokoka said that the initiative was a government’s commitment to upholding the wellbeing of adolescents and young people with the view to empower young girls.

Receiving the sanitary pads, National Children’s Consultative Forum chairperson, and also newly elected President of the Southern African Development Community Child Led Parliamentary Forum, Aumakwe Aron said having access to sanitary pads was a basic need.

The Form five learner at Naledi Senior Secondary School said the initiative would allow female students to learn comfortably knowing that they had access to sanitary pads.

Even before assuming presidency, Aumakwe said President Boko was still the champion of children’s rights. For that reason, she expressed appreciation to President Boko for the initiative, pleading with him to encourage other leaders to embrace the initiative.

The initiative, Ms Aron said would go a long way in shaping young girls’ future, encouraging them to use the pads with due care and dispose them in a way that would not harm or pollute the environment. ENDS