Botswana commits to youth, health climate priorities
Kabelo Boranabi | Monday December 15, 2025 06:00
The event brought together government, development partners, civil society, and youth representatives to align policy priorities with Botswana’s demographic and climate realities. It was held under the theme “Population Dynamics, SRHR–Climate Change Nexus & Operationalisation of the 2030 ESA, ministerial commitment on education, health, and well-being of adolescents and young people.”
The dialogue aimed to address the dual challenge of a youth bulge and an ageing population, focusing on the health, education, and well-being of adolescents and young people.
Delegates engaged in discussions on policy gaps, resource allocation, and multi-sectoral collaboration.
SAT Botswana country director, Thatayaone Gabositwe, presented findings from youth dialogues conducted nationwide, reaching over 480 young people in selected rural areas.
“We are here to create a bridge between Parliament and youth to carry these issues forward. Young people are tired of speeches and no action,” Gabositwe said.
He highlighted key issues including employment, education, and youth participation in governance, noting that 47 percent of the youth population are not in education, employment, or training, while only 51% of human capital is currently harnessed.
For her part, Tlangelani Shilubane-Pietersen, from UNFPA Botswana head of office, called for strategic investment to unlock Botswana’s demographic dividend, stressing the link between youth health, education, and economic empowerment.
“Investing in our young people is not an expense. It is the most critical human capital investment for our future. We must ensure universal health coverage includes adolescent and youth-friendly sexual reproductive health and rights,” said Shilubane-Pietersen.
Shilubane-Pietersen urged harmonised approaches, coordinated implementation, and innovative financing, highlighting that investment in youth is central to Botswana’s economic diversification and export-driven growth.
Speaker of the National Assembly, Dithapelo Keorapetse, reinforced the Parliament’s oversight role.
“We commend the young people who contributed to the two policy briefs on population dynamics and the SRHR–climate change nexus. Their insights enrich parliamentary debates and informed decision-making,” he said.
Keorapetse emphasised ongoing reforms on age-of-consent laws, child marriage legislation, and gender-based violence, pointing to the Marriage Act amendment Bill and the Employment Relations Act as examples of concrete policy action.
Gabositwe had further stressed human capital development, highlighting the need for education, vocational training, and decent employment opportunities.
“Human capital is knowledge, skills, and experience that people can use to realise their potential as productive members of society. To reap the rewards of this population, we must invest deliberately in young people,” he said.
The dialogue concluded with renewed commitments to operationalise policies, ensuring that youth-led recommendations influence national development, SRHR services, and climate strategies.
“Our young people are not merely beneficiaries of development; they are co-creators of the inclusive society we aim to build. Nothing for us without us,” Keorapetse affirmed.