24 Nov 2016

Government is fully committed to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. 

The Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Ms Botlogile Tshireletso said this at the SADC Gender Protocol National Summit awards which were held at Tlotlo Conference recently.

“We have demonstrated this through our commitment to the International, Regional and National Gender Equality Instruments and their follow up processes,”she said.

With the 2016 National Summit held under the theme, “50/50 by 2030! Empower Women, End Violence; Ms Tshireletso said the theme implored all key stakeholders to accelerate efforts for gender equality as they entered in the new phase of development, where women and men enjoyed the socio-economic benefits in their communities.

“In order to realise our international obligation and priorities, including the Sustainable Development Goals, Vision 2036, and National Development Plans, there is need for concerted   effort amongst all key players in the economy,” she said.

She further said government regarded the Public Private Partnership as an integral part of sustainable development, adding that Non –State Actors such as Gender Links Botswana remained valuable in the development process.

Ms Tshireletso also highlighted that since independence, Botswana has been committed to the development of their citizens including women's empowerment and promotion of gender equity and equality, which was evident by the international and regional convention, treaties and protocols that have been signed including amongst others, the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their 1977 Additional Protocol.

She said though Botswana had made significant stride in promoting gender equality, more still needed to be done in accelerating women empowerment programmes as they aimed for the 50/50 by 2030.

“In this endeavour government has stated intensifying efforts as evidenced by the recent launch of the National Policy on Gender and Development which is aimed at strengthening determinants for gender mainstreaming at all levels, structures and sectors. Though we have made strides in the empowerment of women, we recognise that there were challenges which we need to overcome,” she said.

For his part, while welcoming the participants, the Botswana Association of Local Authorities project officer, Mr Mompati Masunga said the awards were expected to go a long way in motivating all participants to up their efforts on the implementation of the gender and development agenda through mainstreaming gender in to their policies, programmes and projects.BOPA