09 Mar 2016

Mayor of Francistown, Ms Sylvia Muzila, has urged women to unite in fighting the spirit of jealousy and bitterness.

Speaking at the International Women’s Day, Gender Sensitisation workshop in Francistown on Tuesday,  Ms Muzila said women  should empower each other in decision making. 

She said women were strong and encouraged them to support each other, especially in areas of poverty. 

She urged women not to undermine themselves. 

Furthermore, Ms Muzila encouraged the participants to share information with other women and benchmark on lifetime development so that they could be able to do things in a different way.

She also encouraged women to intensify women associations such as Botswana Council of Women (BCW) to fight issues of commercial sex workers in Francistown, noting that the girl child needed support. 

The mayor expressed concern about women being affected by HIV and AIDS and advised the BCW to recruit more members since they had assets and land. 

For his part, a member of Botswana Police Women’s Network, Ms Seanokeng Nkau, said they had a secret place where women issues were addressed accordingly.

Ms Nkau highlighted that when women reported their cases, they were treated in a good manner and they were normally attended to by another woman to protect their privacy and allow them to be free to speak.

She mentioned that as police officers, they also provided counselling to women and the girl child about abuse and violence. 

Ms Nkau raised a concern about women who dragged their feet to report incest cases, adding that such cases were normally being reported by teachers or social workers, but she pleaded with the women to take responsibility and protect the girl child.  

One of the participants, Ms Rosina Takwe, who is the chairperson of BCW in the north, appreciated government efforts and support of educating children about the types of abuse.

She noted that it was high time women united to take gender issues into account and disseminate information to one another.

Ms Takwe emphasised the need to train and educate young people at grass roots level on the issue of gender so that they could be able to stand up for their rights. Ends