08 Mar 2016

Women in leadership positions in their respective organisations deserve to be recognised and celebrated, as these are not easy roles to execute, health minister, Ms Dorcas Makgato has said. 

In her keynote address at the executive breakfast for Leading Women in the Botswana Public Service and Parastatal Organisations, on March 8, Ms Makgato said by holding these key positions, as women, attested to the fact that women also had the same ability and competence to deliver at par with men. 

For that reason, she encouraged all women in strategic leadership positions to be always grateful for the positions they hold and confidently deliver on them to achieve their desired results.

She encouraged women in leadership to appreciate being part of the inaugural seminar as it was a noble venture that afforded them an opportunity to introspect and reflect on how far they had come and still needed to go.

She commended DPSM for organising the event, saying it was long overdue, very significant and befitting that as the world celebrated International Women’s Day, women in leadership in Botswana Public Service and Parastatal Organisations also gathered together to share experiences and inspire each other. 

“Today, again, is a historical milestone of recognising and acknowledging women in leadership, as part of ushering Botswana’s celebration of her maturity at 50,” she added.

The seminar was organised by DPSM for women in leadership positions to share their experiences and celebrate their successes and achievements in attaining their status together, in commemoration of the 2016 International Women’s Day themed: “Pledge for Parity.”

The executive leadership forum also aimed at providing a platform for mentorship, as a paradigm shift from focusing on why women were not being appointed to leadership positions to nurturing young women leaders and creating an environment for success.

In her welcome address, the director of Public Service Management (DPSM), Ms Ruth Maphorisa said of the 53 per cent of women in the Botswana Public Service, 40 per cent are in the executive leadership positions, which shows the strength and the capabilities that women have.

 “It further demonstrated the trust and the confidence that our government has towards women in this country. It is a gesture that should not be taken for granted,” she added.

On behalf of all women in executive leadership, Ms Maphorisa expressed gratitude and appreciation to President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama and his government for the positive developments in advancing women from the time of independence.

She said there were many issues that needed the attention of women in leadership positions. Therefore, through this seminar, she said women would be able to introspect to see if they were making the desired impact to eradicate poverty amongst their fellow citizens and in ensuring prosperity for all.

In their introspections and reflections, she said women in leadership needed to ask themselves if they had made meaningful contribution in building successful organisations and more importantly in building a better Botswana for the next generations. 

“When all is said and done, we will be judged by how the organisations we are leading continues to thrive when we are gone. That is the legacy we are leaving behind,” she said.

 “As women, let us support each other and be proactive in whatever we do, because no one will push us to succeed. We need to come to the party and sit at the table. How often do we sit in meetings and take a back seat? Pro-activeness is very important in leadership,” she added. 

Women, she said needed to believe in themselves and not attribute their success to some luck, whilst men attributed their success to being smart. 

“As we celebrate our success, we must be proud that it was earned based on merit and performance,” she said. 

International Women’s Day is celebrated globally on May 8. This year’s theme calls upon every man and woman to make a pledge to help accelerate the achievement of gender parity, gender-balanced leadership, respect and value difference, develop more inclusive and flexible cultures or root out workplace bias.  ENDS