10 Mar 2022

Feminism, is not about making women stronger as women are already strong.
Lucara Botswana general manager, Mr Johane Mchive said this during the International Women’s Day commemoration in Letlhakane on Tuesday.

Mr Mchive asserted that instead, feminism was about changing the way the world perceived the strength of a woman.

He noted that women had the right to live in dignity and without any fear.

Mr Mchive said gender issues in Botswana were strongly linked to economic factors, noting that women who experienced gender-based violence were, in most cases, dependent on their abusers.

He pointed out that the direct link between poverty and gender based violence led to under reporting of violence incidences, thus limiting the assembling of robust data sets that could be used for policy and programme formulation.

Botswana, Mr Mchive said, had sustained efforts to address particular vulnerabilities of women and girls arising from gender stereotyping as well as discriminatory socio-cultural practices.

He further said there had been progress in the areas of education, health, human rights, poverty and economic empowerment.

The gender officer, Ms Khumo Letsweletse said the objectives of International Women’s Day were to commemorate the achievements, contributions, efforts and struggles of women made towards the entire development process.

Ms Letsweletse said the aim was 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.

This, she said, was to educate and sensitise the public on matters relating to the status of women.

For her part, Pastor Bonyana Mmale of Family of God Church stated that there was a legacy that a woman was supposed to build, as such she should know her identity.

Pastor Mmale indicated that a woman should not allow herself  to be described by other people, noting that she should know her purpose as a mother figure or a girl child.

She stated that a woman should have a vision and a life strategy.  ENDS