12 Mar 2018

The Ambassador of France to Botswana, Mr Pierre Voillery has called for the elimination of all forms of violence against women and the girl child.

Speaking at International Women’s Day commemoration last week at his residence, Mr Voillery said it was disturbing that cases of violence against women and girls continued to increase not only in Botswana but across the globe.

“In France, statistics showed that after October, complaints of sexual abuse or harassment increased by 30 per cent,” he added.

 The event, which was a follow-up of last year’s edition, was meant to celebrate and promote women empowerment in Botswana. The event gathered members of local authorities, women from the private sector, representatives of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) dealing with women’s rights and gender equality as well as representatives of diplomatic missions and international organisations.

Ambassador Voillery recalled the commitment of the French government towards achieving gender equality, as evidenced by the decision by French President, Mr Emmanuel Macron to make gender equality the “great cause of his term.”

“This is why in February France adopted its third international strategy for gender equality for the period 2018-2022 which is based on the five pillars  of girls’ education, empowerment of women, free and equal access of women and girls to rights and justice, protection against all forms of violence and strengthening the voice and effective participation of women and girls in public life and promoting the United Nations Peace and Security Agenda,” he said.

He explained that “the strategy commits all France’s external action above and beyond the sole sea area of development, in all its political, economic, soft diplomacy, cultural and educational aspects.”

 Mr Voillery commended the government of Botswana for its decision to take under consideration many recommendations that were discussed in January during the universal periodic review at the Human Rights Council of the United Nations in Geneva.

For her part, director of legal and corporate affairs at Orange Botswana, Ms Lepata Mafa explained that women as heads of families had proven to be capable leaders in all sectors.

She said Orange Botswana had taken a deliberate decision to empower women by forming a foundation and developing programmes aimed at empowering them.

She noted that Orange Botswana had set up a learning centre in Ghanzi for women and girls because the company had realised that it was important to invest in the two as a way of empowerment.

She said “culture should never be an excuse that women cannot be empowered,” adding that at Orange they believed that women could achieve their goals if supported.

For her part, Ms Madgeline Madibela from UN Women commended Botswana for having signed some of the instruments that included the SADC protocol on gender and equality and the establishment of the prevention of gender based violence.

However, she said a lot was needed to empower women and fight gender based violence, adding that in December alone last year, they recorded 25 cases of gruesome violence and deaths of women in Botswana.

She complained that voices of women in rural areas were not heard as opposed to those who lived in urban areas, saying something should be done to close up the gap and bring them into the conversation. Ends