21 Aug 2022

Government will be paying more and more attention to advancing women in sport across all sporting codes, President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi has announced.

Speaking at an appreciation brunch for the senior women national football team, The Mares, yesterday,  the President said all stakeholders would need more engagements and interactions to develop a systematic programme geared at advancing women.

Dr Masisi applauded The Mares for  representing the country well at WAFCON, saying despite it being their maiden appearance, the players and  technical staff made Botswana proud.

“As I watched your beautiful style of play, the fortitude and determination to clinch success in your encounters on the pitch at the maiden appearance of the first ever Botswana women’s national football team, I marvelled at your talent,” he said.

President Masisi said it was gratifying to see yet another part of the glass-ceiling against women being shattered and females earning admiration and honour as rising stars of Botswana.

He promised that government would avail the necessary resources for talent identification, nurturing and ensuring that women footballers were ready to compete at the highest levels and even turn professional.

The President said the transfer of the Department of Gender Affairs to the ministry formerly known as youth empowerment, sport and culture development was a deliberate move to achieve gender parity and equity in sport.

 “After all, posting excellence in sport defies gender stereotypes and sport can be powerfully used as an instrument of employment creation and socio-economic transformation that we desire for our nation; our beloved Botswana, where no one is left behind,” he said.

Dr Masisi said whilst some progress had been made in‘gender mainstreaming in sport, a lot of work still remained to be done  to achieve the desired equity and equality.

 “I challenge the Botswana Football Association to establish structures to develop and administer a women’s football league that is managed with similar impetus as the men’s league, if not better,” he said. 

 The President said the league was achievable through the support already demonstrated by companies such as  Lucara Botswana, AT&T Monnakgotla, Diamond Trading Company Botswana and O3.

The President stressed the importance of decent pay or incentives for women to bring them closer, if not at par, with their male counterparts.

“I believe that we need to open up a serious discussion about this since a few countries have now started engaging on this particular discourse. Early this year, the United States went against the grain and made it a policy that their women’s national team players will now earn equal allowances with their  male counterparts. This is exceptional and must be commended,” he said.

President Masisi urged the business community to assist BFA, Botswana National Sport Commission and government in ensuring more financial assistance was pumped into women’s football.

“I have no hesitation in declaring that the future of African football resides largely on women’s football for it is pristine territory,” he said.

BFA president Maclean Letshiwti said The Mares had done a commendable job and congratulated them for putting up a great show and proceeding to the quarterfinals.

“They have won close to P2 million. Now I have found it fit to give them all the money to thank them for their sterling job. BFA is not going to take anything from that money,” he said.BOPA