02 Aug 2015

Health minister, Ms Dorcas Makgato, has called on women to embrace, collaborate and compliment their male counterparts.

She was speaking at the launch of Womanomics, an organisation derived from the terms; woman and economics.

Minister Makgato encouraged Womanomics to employ strategies that could assist the girl child to operate within the environment that they find themselves in.

“Botswana has so far done so well in empowering the girl child to a point where they can take into account the context of where they are living. If we do not, they will be so empowered, leave the boy child behind and thereby causing mismatch, which will not be conducive,” she said.

Ms Makgato said Parliament was debating the gender policy, citing that it was remarkable as men were at the frontline in discussing and debating the issue, which one could have thought could be represented by women.

She said it was important for Womanomics to map effective relations as government depended on stakeholders to provide information that would inform policies, strategies and deal specifically with the girl child.

The minister stated that self-esteem and self-worth needed to be the acumen of the girl child, highlighting the confidence that was displayed mostly by today’s modern child.

She made a pledge her support to Womanomics as it was an upright and global idea that needed to be celebrated.

Ms Emelda Molokomme underscored the importance of collaboration of both the boy and girl child.

“It is not about competition, it is about living and leading together, for the purpose of leading the country. Walk an extra mile together,” she said.

She said the girl child could achieve the challenges if she defied them. She called on Womanomics to focus on interventions and have them as defiance and called on them to have zero tolerance to violence. Ends