05 Mar 2024

So much has changed in the way societies do things. Practices that existed in the past have no room in today’s world and where they have remained, those who still believe in them are few. 

Societies, to a large extent, believe in a level playing field, where men and women are equal. 

International Women’s Day pays tribute to the women’s contribution in various fields, among them culture, an area that awakens different sentiments in different people. 

A woman in the past was an embodiment of humility, passivity and loyalty, characteristics that reduced her to a house wife with no voice, is what Kgosi Nagano Martin of Paje remembers. 

She was not allowed to work except care for children while men had the liberty to seek jobs in the mines, Kgosi Martin continued. 

He said as the years progressed, it began to dawn on many that such practices discriminated against women and stirred inequality. 

Nowadays women are in charge of their lives because the cost of living dictates that women be allowed to work and contribute towards household expenses. 

Kgosi Martin said restricting women from wearing trousers at the kgotla was one of the practices that staved off efforts to achieve gender equality. 

“As a custodian of tradition, I know I have to ensure the practice continues and punish those who do not comply. But I also cannot dispute the fact that restricting women’s attire contradicts our desire to treat both men and women the same,” he explained in an interview. 

As the village leadership, he said they were trying to eliminate all forms of inequality by involving women in efforts geared towards moving the village forward. 

Kgosi Martin wished for the village leadership and Department of Gender Affairs to join forces and resuscitate women’s dignity. 

Young women especially, are supposed to be equipped with knowledge of what is expected of them so that the 21^st century does not rob them of the possibilities of becoming well-defined Motswana women, Kgosi Martin said. 

Sharing her experience while a youth, International Women’s Day beauty contest winner, Ms Galemodimo Kebalatlhe, 74,  described herself as a product of strict parenting and where curfews were a standard rule.

She said her parents believed that her behaviour as a young girl would determine the kind of woman she would become. 

Then, I saw it as abuse and little did I know that they were saving me from destruction, Ms Kebalatlhe said. 

She reckoned, times had changed and children were difficult to control. She also talked about self-respect and advised women against cohabitation and over dependence on men. 

First runner up, Ms Goitsemang Jeji, 76, said GBV and inequality against women existed even in the past and recalled that young women were not accorded time to enjoy their youth because they were married off while still young, to older men who would later abuse them physically, emotionally and sexually because those young women feared to speak out. 

She said young women ended up doing heavy chores and bore as many children as the men wanted.

As if that was not enough, you would be left at home to care for the children alone, when the man went and started another family elsewhere, something that brewed anger in those women, Ms Jeji recalled. Ends