12 Mar 2018

Equal representation of men and women in key decision making structures is imperative to efforts that enhance democracy and good governance, says Kgosi Mosadi Seboko.

Giving a keynote address at International Women’s Day commemoration in Mmokolodi on March 10, the Balete leader said while government had done a lot over the years to improve the status of women, there were still areas where more still needed to be done.

Kgosi Mosadi cited bogosi and political leadership positions where women were still found in fewer numbers.

She added that there was urgent need to close the development gap between rural and urban women, saying unless there was equality between the two groups gender parity would not be easy to attain.

She further highlighted the importance of raising awareness on the significance as well as the need for gender equality on children, saying it was vital for children to grow up knowing that no gender was more important than the other.

Kgosi Mosadi also said that time had come for society to understand that gender equality did not mean that one gender ought to disrespect the other.

She said mutual respect by genders would make them a strong force that would together be able to surmount any challenges that society faced.

Another speaker, Ms Neo Masisi said while women were naturally resilient, they tended to suffer more in cases of gender-based violence and also felt the pinch of poverty more than their male counterparts.

Ms Masisi, who is the wife to Vice President Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi, said women moreover held the least leadership roles.

She said in order to change their plight, it was critical that they among others, partnered with each other instead of working in silos.

She said women must also seek mentors and mentor others who may need to be guided so as to improve their lives.

She added that they must also improve their knowledge base, noting that they must read widely, even beyond their core vocations.

Ms Masisi also implored women to be support systems for each other as well by re-affirming their commitment to ensuring that they helped each other to be whatever they had set out to become in their lives.

Ms Pearl Ranna of Unitech Farming said the International Women’s Day was not about competition between men and women, but rather about finding ways through which the genders could work together for the betterment of society.

Ms Ranna also said while it was crucial for women to strive to empower each other, men also needed to play their role, saying only an empowered woman would be able to empower another. Ends