It is important that government and the rest of the nation recognise and celebrate female public service employees of the past, present and future on International Women’s Day.

This was said by Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration Mr Kabo Morwaeng when appreciating public service women employees on the day’s commemoration yesterday.

“A majority, if not all, female public service employees provide services directly to the public. It is for this reason that government recognises their selfless contribution to the development of our country,” he said.

He said female employees constitute 64.6 per cent in local government and 53.5 per cent in central government as at 2017.

Minister Morwaeng said women at director level and above within the public service constituted about 40 per cent while female magistrates also constituted over 60 per cent.

This was a desirable state showing that women were empowered across various spectra, he said.

Mr Morwaeng said he was cognisant of the low representation of women at permanent secretary level adding that government was keen to improve the situation.

“Let me also emphasise that as government, we recognise and appreciate the role women have played in the development of our country, hence have made deliberate decision to leverage on their potential,” he said.

Minister Morwaeng said women were the majority of frontline workers especially in the health and teaching profession hence he found it prudent to appreciate them.

He said despite being at the forefront in the COVID-19 response, women and girls continued to experience gender- based violence (GBV).

Emphasing that government shunned GBV, Mr Morwaeng encouraged all victims and survivors of GBV to report it “so that you are granted justice and perpetrators punished accordingly”.

He said realising the negative impact of GBV, government undertook legislative and administrative reforms to remedy the situation.

Minister Morwaeng cited development of the Sex Offenders Bill aimed at among others keeping a record of all convicted sex offenders, piloting of child- friendly services to ensure that children were free to report sexual abuse and exploitation by Botswana Police Service, establishment of specialized courts and appointment of magistrates to speed up the hearing of GBV cases Administration of Justice.

“These reforms will go a long way in relieving GBV victims and survivors the ordeal of having to wait for a long period before their cases are heard,” he said.

To ensure the effectiveness of the reforms, he said government had established the Inter- Ministerial Committee comprising ministers of Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public administration, Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs, Health and Wellness, Basic Education, Local Government and Rural Development as well as Defence Justice and Security.

“This committee is supported by a multi-sectoral one at technical level. This technical team comprises of representatives from Government, civil society, faith-based organizations, dikgosi, academia and the business community. We trust that with these structures, we shall eliminate GBV,” he said.

On the day’s theme, “Women in Leadership; Achieving Equal Future in The COVID-19 World”, Mr Morwaeng said it celebrated the great efforts by women and girls around the world as well as their contribution towards shaping a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. ENDS