BNF welcomes provision of sanitary pads in schools
Correspondent | Friday August 4, 2017 13:43
The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) has to be applauded for listening and finally acceding to the BNF long standing proposal for the provision of sanitary pads. In 2012, the BNF launched a sanitary pads campaign dubbed “Ensuring the Dignity of Women”.
This campaign included organising sanitary pads for needy women and encouraging teenage debates and discussions on the issues of menstrual health. The BNF campaign requested the BDP-led government to provide free sanitary pads to needy teenagers in our communities and in schools. The opposition also proposed a motion calling for the provision of sanitary pads in schools and public health centres, but the BDP legislators unreasonably shot it down.
Since 2012, the BNF has had annual fundraising activities including sponsored walks to raise menstrual health awareness and funds for the provision of sanitary pads.
The party had long identified this issue as a serious health concern. The BNF believes that sanitary pads do not only provide a healthy lifestyle for the young women, but also gives them confidence, pride and dignity.
The BNF thanks honourable Member of Parliament for Nata/Gweta, Polsen Majaga for listening attentively to the opposition proposals and successfully proposing this long overdue sanitary pads assistance for the teenage girl. We further call upon other BDP legislators to put aside their narrow partisan interests and also listen to other opposition proposals and support them for the socio-economic development of this country.
The BNF and other opposition parties under the Umbrella for Democratic Change also strongly believe in quality education with production at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. This type of education empowers citizens at a tender age with quality life long artisan skills and to be able to create their own sustainable money spinning job opportunities and not depend on government. The current BDP-led government education system deliberately promotes heavy reliance on government even on basic social welfare issues that strips one of dignity.
The BDP has failed dismally to introduce a quality education system that solves socio-economic problems like unemployment, crime, diseases, etc despite the country being well endowed with various natural resources.
The 2019 policy frameworks of UDC however promise the nation positive educational transformations that will improve the general quality of life of Batswana, irrespective of their political affiliation.
Currently, lucrative opportunities in jobs, tenders, government supported loan schemes, etc are exclusively reserved for BDP card carrying members, families and cronies, while majority of Batswana have been shut out and reduced to beggars and paupers in their own rich country.
Thank you
Justin Hunyepa
BNF Information and Publicity Secretary