14 Mar 2021

City of Francistown Mayor Mr  Godisang Radisigo says it is necessary to create an enabling environment in which women’s rights are recognised and forms an integral part of human rights.

Speaking during the International Women’s Day Commemoration hosted by Success Capital, he said the International Women’s Day was a day set aside by the United Nations to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, adding that this day also marked a call for reflection, unity, advocacy and action to accelerate gender parity.

He said it was necessary to create an enabling environment in which women’s rights were recognised as an indispensable part of human rights and where women including men had the same opportunities to realise their full potential.

He said the motive of the day was to give women an opportunity to fully participate and share ideas on how to improve their social, economic and political situations as well as review what they had done in their struggle for equality.

“Botswana’s constitution guarantees equality before the law and prohibits discrimination based on sex or gender,” he said for a long time, Botswana had made significant efforts to address issues relating to vulnerable women and girls.

On the other hand, the mayor said progress had been made in the areas of education, human rights, poverty and economic empowerment, but apparently, women continued to lag behind in involvement and participation in the social and economic spheres.

He urged women to take this opportunity and fully participate, share ideas on how to improve their social, economic, political situations and review what they had done in their struggle for equality.

Citing this year’s theme, Choose to Challenge, he said it was appropriate as it looked to break down the walls and barriers in global societies that hindered progress towards equality.

Senior gender affairs officer Mr Kabelo Tsiang said the objectives of the day were to commemorate the achievements, contributions, efforts and struggles of women made towards the entire development process.

Also, to discuss women’s past strengths and successes as well as their weaknesses and failures, with a view to finding solutions to remove the constraints experienced, educate, sensitise the public on matters relating to the status of women and discuss the extent at which gender balance had been achieved between men and women.

Mr Dumiso Gatsha, coordinator of Success Capital said as a youth organisation they saw it fit to extend a helping hand to different communities across the country to help curb discrimination and inequality against women and girls.

She noted that human rights were vital to the development of women and the girl child.

During the occasion, Success Capital donated boxes of sanitary pads to 250 beneficiaries, which will be used for three months and later promised to bring another supply of sanitary pads to cover the whole year.

Mr Gatsha said such was part of their mandate as an organisation to continue bringing dignity to women and girls as a way of working towards achieving the aspirations of Vision 2036.

Ms Craciano Maphorisa from African Women’s Entrepreneurship Programme lamented that Women needed to be celebrated everyday as they formed a big part of the society and encouraged women to challenge themselves in doing good and ensure that their voices were heard. ENDS