Lack of access to sanitary pads should not be a subject of debate in this day and age; that issue should have been addressed as far back as yesterday.

Sanitary pads should not be seen as a luxury, especially among the vulnerable rural folk. It should have been part of the social protection programmes, up there with health insurance. And why can’t it be covered by Mutuelle de Sante?

Why should young girls skip school during their menstrual cycle? That is a very big blot on the otherwise excellent gender equality record this country is known for.

It is quite disheartening to hear a female lawmaker – who in normal circumstances should be the first line of defence – not treating the matter with the urgency it deserves.

Arguing that they were first experimenting with Made-in Rwanda pads, and that women from poor rural first need to be sensitized, is very defeatist; the sanitary pads first need to be made accessible.

The East African Legislative Assembly EALA passed a resolution in 2013 calling for the abolition of taxes on sanitary pads to make them more accessible, but it was never implemented.

Maybe this issue can be solved if authorities first changed their attitude on how to approach it; it should be regarded as a human necessity and treated as an emergency. Simply because it affects one section of society should not make it less important.

Changing the approach on how to handle it will be a huge step in removing one of the remaining barriers in women emancipation and dignity. It is a sure deal that once authorities abandon the "consulting with other stakeholders” stance, a solution will be found.