13 Mar 2017

Botswana women who have over the years significantly served the country in various capacities have been saluted for their selfless efforts.

In appreciation of their efforts at the 2017 Executive Women Leadership event in Gaborone on Thursday, the Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation Dr Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi said although it was not easy climbing to the top while serving the nation, it was encouraging that most women had achieved this difficult task.

Dr Venson-Moitoi, who has served the country both in the private and public sector including in the political arena, proudly recalled the old memories of her era but openly admitted that there were always obstacles that she encountered in her career as she proudly served her nation.

“Throughout my journey and in all that I believed in, I dared and created within me, a true desire to make a difference. This made me traverse territories that even I never thought could be reached before,” she said to a thunderous applause.

In relation to the theme: Be bold for change, she said success and boldness often come from lessons learnt in losing the fierce race of battle and picking up the pieces to re-strategise to forge ahead.

She noted that though she lost the chairmanship of the AU recently, where she was nominated by SADC to stand, she does not consider herself a loser because she had be able to know more and understand the true dynamics of the African continent than before.

“I will be the first to admit that, success is indeed riddled with roadblocks, turbulences that soon became history and foundation for the next level. Remember in building a tower, each floor becomes the foundation of the next floor,” she said.

Meanwhile she urged women of Botswana to be bold in seeking change, coupled with harmony. She however said they should not allow their egos to stand in the way of lifting each other. He added that they had more in common than they thought, and united they are a force to reckon with if they learnt to acknowledge one another.

For his part, Minister of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs Mr Edwin Batshu acknowledged the role played by women in the public service and parastatal.

He however said it was now common knowledge that Botswana currently leads the SADC region with women in leadership positions within the public at 44 per cent.

On the other hand minister Batshu said the 2017 commemoration of International Women’s Day was timely as it coincided with the adoption of Vision 2036 and the NDP 11, which were aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals and key regional international gender instruments.

He further noted that in 2016 Botswana hosted the SADC Ministers of Gender as chair to review the Protocol during which Botswana’s concern were considered. The SADC Summit in Swaziland endorsed the amendments and adopted the revised protocol.

He said he was confident of their capability and therefore assured them of government’s support for realisation of their ambitions and endeavours at all levels of development.

On the other hand the Assistant Minister of for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration Mt Thato Kwerepe said were it not for the women in the four corners of this country, remote, villages, towns and cities the country would not be where it was today.

Tapping onto the Setswana adage ‘Mosadi ke thari ya Setshaba, bo mme e le ruri le belega Setshaba, le belega Botswana, he said “the future of this country is not only on your shoulders, but on your backs which have the experience”, he said. He said as a government they were committed to uplifting and empowering women in the country.

“Not only do our gender focused programmes which evidently benefit more women speak to this commitment, right from the onset. Equal opportunities were granted to all. The education story tells it all. This occasion attests to this”, he said. ENDS