Women politicians powerless
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Monday September 18, 2023 06:00
While leading opposition parties, the Botswana National Front (BNF) and the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) have gender policies and quotas advocating for women to assume positions of power internally and at national level, the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) has no such.
On the contrary, President Mokgweetsi Masisi is hailed as a progressive leader in gender equality but his party has no legal instruments to advance women into positions of authority.
“Women’s Wing or League must have a clear mandate apart from its chairperson being a member of the party central committee. Their roles must be well defined in the party constitution.
That will help the women’s voices to be heard and could help in addressing some of the challenges like political women funding. We do not want women to be in Parliament through special elected positions but through ballots as well. Political women empowerment must be the key to political wings or leagues,” former Member of Serowe South constituency, Seretse said.
She said Leagues and Wings must advocate a conducive environment for women in parties. In addition, Seretse said they should come out with resolutions in their congresses that will force political parties to endorse them. She said the BDP Women’s Wing must help the President advocate gender equality since he is doing well in that regard. Former Speaker of the National Assembly, Margret Nasha said: “Wings and leagues for different political parties must speak with one voice on issues that are affecting them.
They should seek for clear mandate that is well defined in their political parties. If they are not included in the constitution, it becomes a problem when advocating some issues. Women's representation cannot increase if they do not have support from their women structures.” Nasha said issues of women's political empowerment should be led by women's political structures in their parties but it becomes sad when they do not advocate it. The former Speaker said they are worried that representation of women in politics has gone down and much is not said about it. She, however, encouraged civil society organisations to speak out on the issue so that women could start voting for one another.
Still, on the matter, Nasha said the country must have a law that reserves some constituencies for women as a way to encourage them to contest elections. Nasha also revealed that the country needs young women in Parliament so that they advocate better on their issues. She further pleaded with people to assist those women who still want to contest for general elections.
She said election campaigns are very expensive hence it is one of the contributing factors that women get discouraged from contesting and also the unconducive environment. Meanwhile, last year when contributing to the constitutional review, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) Women’s Wing deputy chairperson Veronica Lesole said as a wing, they would get advice from their party attorneys on how they could phrase some issues affecting political women to the delegation.
“There is a gap between men and women when it comes to issues of finances. If women could be given loans with a certain percentage lower than their male counterparts then it could motivate them to do something. This could help if included in the Constitution,” she had said. Lesole further proposed that a certain quota must be reserved in the Constitution for women in Parliament, Council and Cabinet. With just 11% of women in Parliament, Botswana is 162 globally and has the lowest ranking of any country in SADC.
Women comprise over 51% of the population of Botswana, but only 11% of MPs; 18% of councillors and 25% of the Cabinet. Local government comprises 16 Administrative Districts and 16 District Councils. Women's representation in local government peaked at 21% in 2004 and has since declined to 18% after the 2019 elections.
In 2019 the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development nominated 119 councillors across the 57 constituencies as per the requirements of the Local Government Act. Women comprised 40 (34%) of the nominees compared to 79 (66%) men, adding to the already high number of men elected. However, the result shows that 609 councillors were voted in 2019, with 111 (18%) women and 498 (82%) men.
This shows an example of a missed opportunity to increase women's representation at the local level as the Minister could have nominated more women. Different researchers have shown that enabling women to actively participate in politics at all levels of decision-making on equal terms with men is essential in achieving equality, peace, democracy and sustainable development. And that the lack of women's full participation at all levels, is denying more than half the country's population their fundamental human rights.