08 Mar 2023

Batswana women should remain steadfast and continue to play roles that contribute to social and economic developments that help grow the country.

First Lady, Ms Neo Masisi thus encouraged women during the International Women’s Day celebrations in Gaborone yesterday.

Ms Masisi said while government continued to provide interventions aimed at promoting gender equality and eliminating discrimination against women, it was also critical that they too play their part in emancipating themselves.

She said most households in the country were headed by women, which she said was impressive, considering how hard those women worked to excel despite the responsibility of balancing their professions and home management.

“This is an important day for us women to reflect, to find ways to uplift each other despite the challenges we face every day,” she said.

For her part, Minister of Finance, Ms Peggy Serame said women should understand that taking up space in all entities was a process that needed dedication, sacrifice and patience.

“Taking up space is not an easy task, but with the right approach, it is quite easy to achieve the desired set goals. Be prepared to work hard and expect no favours. Learn to motivate each other and respond appropriately to both positive and negative [feedback],” she said.

Ms Serame also encouraged women to embrace each other despite the challenges they faced, saying by so doing they could help others realise and unleash their purpose.

“Learn to embrace each other and keep nurturing them until they become something significant,” she advised.

International Women’s Day was commemorated under the theme, ‘Digital Innovation and Technology for Gender Equity.

Addressing the theme, Ms Tazzima Kala of Hotwire Public Relations Consultancy emphasised the importance of women becoming acquainted with information technology, stating that digitalisation was no longer a revolution, but a part of everyday life with the potential to unlock opportunities.“Digitalisation prompts us to question many opportunities; it is what we make it to be, and its impact on us is shaped by how we choose to use it,” she explained. ENDS