18 Jul 2023

Botswana has been encouraged to put in place mechanisms to ensure that more women make it to positions of political office. 

Dr Zainab Gimba of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) African Region Steering Committee said this during a courtesy call on President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi at the Office of the President in Gaborone recently. 

Dr Gimba said Rwanda and Namibia were some of the countries that had improved women representation in their parliaments, thanks to the use of quotas in their electoral regime. 

While acknowledging that Botswana was lagging behind in terms of women holding political office, Dr Gimba lauded President Masisi for appointing women to positions of influence, including the country’s first female finance minister, commissioner of prisons, commissioner general of the Botswana Unified Revenue Services and Permanent Secretary to the President. 

For his part, President Masisi expressed his commitment to gender equality, stating that it made logical sense since more than 50 per cent of the population was female and, as such, empowerment and the human rights of women naturally flew into the progress of society as a whole. 

He said the country’s political system still needed to work on improving on women representation in office, adding that such would need the collective efforts of different political parties, religious organisations and civil society. 

Dr Gimba, a Nigerian parliamentarian, was accompanied by Ms Elma Dienda of Namibia, Botswana finance minister, Ms Peggy Serame, Botswana MPs; Ms Talita Monnakgotla, Mr John Thiite as well as Mr Yandani Boko, Clerk of the National Assembly, Ms Barbara Dithapo and officers from the CPA Africa Secretariat. ends