06 Sep 2020

Sport is a unifier and strategy that can take the country to a higher level, Putting Women First Trust director has said.

Presenting at a Women in Sport Pitso organised by Women in Sport Botswana(WASBO) in Gaborone on September 5, Elsie Alexander, said sport was no longer done solely for entertainment, but seen as a tool for developing children.

Sport, she said, had potential to create employment, therefore it was an integral part of Botswana’s development plan.

Alexander said sport should also be an integral part of policy making plan.

She said the country was a society where social inclusion, equality, democracy and accountability should be held at a high level.

Given that the country gained independence more than 50 years ago, Alexander said it was imperative for women, young generation and the leadership to make sure that the country did not count among African countries that did not respect key principles and values of development, democracy and human rights agenda.

Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) president, Botsang Tshenyego, said gender inequality was a global challenge.

He said six years ago, the United Nations (UN) adopted Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, ‘which envisions a world in which every woman and girl enjoys full gender equality and all legal, social and economic barriers to their empowerment are removed.’

He said the Olympic Movement was committed to building a better world through sport.  The International Olympic Committee, he said, re-distributed 90 per cent of its income to organisations around the world.

Tshenyego said recommendation 11; Foster Gender Equality of the current strategic roadmap, Agenda 2020, demonstrated the significance and priority attached to women empowerment.

“You will perhaps be happy to note that amongst others, female membership of the IOC commissions have reached an all-time high of 47 per cent,” he said. In 2013, of the total 30 IOC commissions, 11 were chaired by women, adding that, ‘it is expected by the end of the year that other indicators would have posted impressive results.’

He said for the first time in history of the Olympic Games, Buenos Aires 2018 had a 50-50 female: male participation.

“Similar achievements were registered at Gold Coast 2018 earlier. This is by no means a mean feat. However, we have a long way to go.

You may be sad and disappointed that out 54 NOCs in Africa, only six females serves as president,” he said.ENDs