Women urged to support each other in politics
Botswana Democracy Works Foundation workshop capacitates women active in and interested in politics
Batswana women in politics have been urged to empower, uplift and support one another instead of ridiculing and sabotaging each other.
If women in politics stand together, this will help to increase the participation and representation of women in Botswana’s political landscape.
Speaking at the inaugural training workshop for Batswana women in politics organised by Botswana Democracy Works Foundation, Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) Head of Communications, Moeti Mohwasa said it is high time women appreciate that they have the advantage of numbers.
Women are in the majority in Botswana, accounting for 52 per cent of the population. Mohwasa appealed to women to use this advantage to advance their participation within the political leadership spectrum of the country.
He noted that having more women in key roles in politics and policy development is also critical as they advance matters of interest, reflecting on how women in Parliament have been influential in the proposal and lobbying for stronger laws on marital rights, fair labour laws and gender-based violence, issues which affect women more.
He said this indicates that women are assets in their contribution to Botswana’s legal code, social, foreign and trade policy. Mohwasa said it has become common that women often ridicule each other, particularly in cases where one shows interest in politics. He said this serves no positive purpose because it results in women being under-represented in issues that affect them and not being prioritised because they don’t have key representatives whose experiences resonate with theirs.
“Women should support each other when standing for elections, whether it is at VDC, Council or Parliament level. Women’s fortunes in politics can only change if they support one another and encourage each other to participate in political leadership and stand for elections,” he said. The week-long training workshop is among a series of training opportunities that are being
facilitated as part of the programme to promote and increase the participation of Batswana women in politics, and also encourage inclusion, as well as raise awareness on the importance of including women in political processes, and fostering a sense of community among women candidates and political figures.
The aim of the training programme includes reflecting on the history and challenges faced by women in politics, developing key strategies for lowering barriers and increasing women’s roles and influences in political institutions and decision-making, and identifying desired outcomes and activities that will increase women’s political capacity and capacitation.
Botswana Democracy Works Foundation is part of a southern Africa organisation of the same name in various countries in the south, aimed at developing capacitation to drive an increase of participation of women in politics at both grassroots and national level, with the hope that more women will take a role in policy development and leadership positions.
The Botswana chapter was launched in June, under the tagline, ‘Go ruta mosadi, ke go ruta Sechaba,’ and engaged all political parties and stakeholders in order to have a nationwide reach, in both urban and rural areas.
The United States of America Department of State’s African Regional Democracy Fund Programme earlier this year pledged P2 million through the Capacity Enhancement for the Political Advancement of Women (CEPAW) to support the training for Batswana who are active in, and interested in politics.
During the handover, USA Ambassador to Botswana Craig Cloud reiterated that they want to see improvement in gender equity and equal participation in Botswana going forward.
Currently, women make up only nine percent of lawmakers in Botswana. Only three women were elected to Parliament in the last general elections out of 57 constituencies, and only 12 women stood as candidates for the National Assembly, including the four specially elected members.