16 Mar 2014

Parliament has adopted a motion that requests government to consider the commissioning and dedication of a bronze statue to all women of Botswana under the theme, ‘Mosadi Thari.’

Tabling the motion before Parliament on Friday, March 14, MP for Kanye South, Mr Abram Kesupile said women were central to society and they did not take their societal roles lightly.

“They have toiled for our country through many years from the era of Bechuanaland Protectorate to present, where we have a Democratic Republic of Botswana” he said.

He said their achievements over the years attested to the seriousness with which they viewed their role in the society.

The Kanye South legislator said women around the world suffered all forms of oppression but this had not discouraged them from continuing with their role of holding families, communities and nations together.

Mr Kesupile said they had held firm to the cause of promoting family, development and peace.

In Botswana, he said, women made half of the population, but were not dependent on their numbers to act out their role.

“That is whether in minority or majority, they always act in the best interest of the nation. They have not allowed the brutality of the society to stop them from acting on their natural role,” he said.

He said currently women organisations were grappling with issues of violence against women and children especially girls.

Women also suffered poverty due to the burden in domestic chores and lack of effective skills to fend for themselves, weak presence in positions of leadership, be it in politics or in the world of work, he said.

He argued that there was weak capacity by young mothers to fend for themselves and to do what their dreams told them.

Mr Kesupile said these issues needed constant debates because a comprehensive change in attitude was very important for success. He added that cultural stereotypes were successfully obstructing empowerment of women and progress of women.

“Society is blinded by its low regard for women and does not want to give them opportunities where they exist,” he said.

Mr Kesupile said women have not been pleased in the past and now and they would never be pleased even in the future because society was reluctant and slow to support efforts intended to enhance opportunities for women.

MP for Mahalapye East Ms Botlogile Tshireletso said the role of women in the society had always been central to development of any society.

She said the significance of women had always been visible as they were the ones who fended for their families when their husbands went across borders for employment.

Ms Tshireletso said women had always done all domestic chores while on the other hand endured the burden of nurturing newly born babies.

She said it was about time women were given the recognition they deserved through a dedication of a statue.

MP for Francistown West, Dr Habaudi Hubona proposed that the statue should be scribed in multi-lingual underneath.

Meanwhile MP for Letlhakeng East, Mr Liakat Kablay said he was against this motion saying women in rural areas would not easily identify or relate with such things as statues, adding that only women in urban areas were the ones who would know what the statue meant.

He emphasised that the role played by Gender Affairs Department should be strengthened because that was where women grievances could be addressed and that a statue would not make any difference. ENDS