It pays to have principles - Dow

No Image

Being clear about what she wants, and not compromising on her beliefs are some of the principles that former High Court judge Unity Dow says helped catapult her to global recognition.

Dow was speaking to Mmegi yesterday following her latest honour by Newsweek, one of America's biggest weekly magazines, and The Daily Best, as one of the 150 extraordinary women who shake up the world. Dow said she feels greatly honoured to be among them, adding that there are many other women, who are also shaking up the world. "There are many other women in the world who deserve it," she said.  Dow, who is also the first Motswana female High Court judge, is in good company.  The 150 honoured women are from all spheres of life and include heads of state, activists and politicians. She is one of only 18 African women honoured, alongside Liberian president Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Cameroonian Kah Walla, a presidential candidate, and Rebecca Lolosoli of Kenya, who founded an all-female village as a safe haven for women fleeing abuse.

Dow is also a human rights lawyer and activist. She first gained prominence for successfully suing the Botswana government and challenging the legality of the Citizenship Act. The Act denied children whose fathers were foreign nationals citizenship, even if their mothers were Batswana. She was also one of the three judges who presided over the 2006 landmark Central Kgalagadi Game Reserve (CKGR) case.

Editor's Comment
Routine child vaccination imperative

The recent Vaccination Day in Motokwe, orchestrated through collaborative efforts between UNICEF, USAID, BRCS, and the Ministry of Health, underscores a commendable stride towards fortifying child health services.The painful reality as reflected by the Ministry of Health's data regarding the decline in routine immunisation coverage since the onset of the pandemic, is a cause for concern.It underscores the urgent need to address the...

Have a Story? Send Us a tip
arrow up