School-going girls and women inmates have been dealt a blow after a Senate panel ‘rejected’ a Bill seeking to give them free sanitary pads.
The Senate Labour and Social Welfare Committee that considered the Provision of Sanitary Towels Bill, 2024 said the proposal would add additional burden to the already burdened taxpayers.
“The committee received more than 90 submissions on the Bill with a majority recommending the rejection of the Bill,” the committee said In the report tabled by committee chairman Julius Murgor, the panel said the proposed law sponsored by nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba creates an additional 48 committees.
“Most of the submissions were against the creation of more bureaucratic structures by creating 48 committees to procure and distribute sanitary towels,” the report says.
The Bill establishes, in each county, county interdepartmental committees on the provision of sanitary towels.
The county committee shall be chaired by the executive responsible for gender.
“The respective county governor shall appoint members of the county interdepartmental committee nominated under subsection ( 1 ) (g) and (h) by notice in the Gazette,” it says.
According to the senators, the Bill is not in tandem with the provisions of the existing laws and policies including the Basic Education Act and the Menstrual Hygiene Management Policy 2019-2023.
“The committee further noted that the Bill does not make reference to section 39 of the (k) of the Basic Education Act, Cap 211 which mandates the CS for Education to provide free, sufficient, and quality sanitary towels to every girl child registered and enrolled in a public basic education institution,” the report says.
However, despite poking holes in the Bill, the committee did not expressly recommend to the Senate to reject it.
Instead, the committee said it would not propose any amendments to the Bill.
The proposed law is set to proceed to a second reading.
The House will decide the fate of the Bill when it resumes plenary sittings next year.
The Bill also mandates the state to set aside an annual budget for the provision of the essential commodity to learners.
“The purpose of the Bill is to provide for the provision of quality, free and sufficient sanitary towels in all public institutions.”
However, the committee said the proposed law does not expressly state where the funding will be drawn from.
According to the Bill, there shall be an established interministerial that shall coordinate and oversee the distribution of the free towels.
The committee shall comprise a chairperson and principal secretaries for Gender, Basic Education, Public Health, Finance, Higher Education, Vocational Training and the Attorney General.
Others are representatives of the Council of Governors, the chairperson of the Gender and Equality Commission and a representative of the communitybased organisation.
“The committee shall advise the government on the provision of sanitary towels in all public institutions and correctional facilities and coordinate their provision to all public institutions and correctional facilities,” the Bill says.
It further provides that the committee shall provide free, sufficient and quality sanitary towels to every woman employed by or studying in a public institution and to every woman in the custody of a correctional facility.
However, the Senate committee said the formation of the body corporate – Inter-Ministerial Committee – may be in conflict with other laws on the establishment of other body corporates.
The senators said the Bill does
not address the standardisation
of products, keeping in mind the
different products that different
beneficiaries may require.
