Botswana, the quiet country sandwiched in the heart of Southern Africa has always been way ahead of the pack in Africa in terms of economy, policy and social equality. And now they’re taking yet another step forward by being the first country on the continent to offer free sanitary pads to young women in all public schools.  Scotland was the first, and Kenya has already recommended that the practice be adopted though it is yet to be implemented.

The Botswana National Front (BNF), the country’s major oppositon political party and pressure group, has sanctioned the decision by the country’s Parliament to pass a motion calling on government to underwrite the distribution of sanitary care by the government. The front has long advocated for the government to wade in and take charge,  and has personally run campaigns in 2015 to distribute sanitary care to disadvantaged women and girls in rural areas. For a country as advanced as Botswana, the BNF were horrified to find that disadvantaged women and girls were forced to use unsanitary objects such as newspapers, old mattresses, rags with sand during their menstruation cycle. She added that some girls miss school during their menstrual cycle.

Parliamentarians like Bogolo Kenewendo have celebrated the decision and suggested that like Scotland, the first phase of the programme will focus on school age girls but will eventually spread to all women.

One small win for reproductive health, we hope the rest of Africa is watching.