An absorbent article comprising a separate belt intended to be placed around the waist of the wearer and an absorbent pad detachably attached to the belt and held by the belt when the article is used wherein the pad comprises a chassis having a liquid permeable topsheet a liquid impermeable backsheet and an absorbent core between the topsheet and the backsheet wherein the absorbent pad includes a front portion a rear portion and a crotch portion there between in the longitudinal direction and wherein the absorbent pad at each of its longitudinal ends is detachably attached to a surface of the belt oriented away from wearer using attaching arrangements provided on each corner of the front portion and the rear portion of the pad wherein at least one of the front and rear portion is provided with a waist elastic arranged symmetrically on each side of the longitudinal center line and extending between the attaching elements in the transverse direction of the pad wherein the waist elastic is provided at the waist portion of at least one of the front and rear portion and is movable between a contracted condition in which the topsheet and/or backsheet exhibit(s) pleats and a fully stretched condition in which the pleats of the topsheet and/or backsheet are fully stretched out wherein the elastic force from said waist elastic is within the range of from 2 N to 7 N when the elastic is in the fully stretched condition.