Unionist decries under-representation of women

Mpho Mokwape | Wednesday January 22, 2014 17:25

 

Speaking at a three-day workshop for Botswana Teachers Union (BTU), Botswana Sectors of Educators Trade Union (BOSETU) and TAWU members, Tswaipe said under-representation of women is not only phenomenal in the country but the world over.

He said in most cases women are not availed leadership roles not because of inability on their part, but as family caretakers they sometimes feel burdened by competing roles.

“Regardless of how we see it women play bigger roles on the family front while men sometimes have free time on their hands when they can fulfill their interests including attending union meetings without worrying about the family,” said Tswaipe.

Tswaipe said this creates a gap between women and men in the command structures, thus suppressing the women’s voices.

Tswaipe advised trade unions to come together to seek how best they can utilise women’s skills and knowledge for the benefit of all.

On broader trade union issues, Tswaipe called on leaders to represent the interest of members and stop aiming and worrying about higher positions and own salaries.

“I am not saying this because I want to be sarcastic, but as an example, you will find that people can take the whole day arguing about who is going to be the next president of the umbrella as a party without ever considering that there are much bigger issues to be addressed,” he said.

His said unions should work towards a common goal of bridging the gap between  workers and employers

“There is a gap between the unions and their members which is causing much bigger problems for the two parties as what unions aim to achieve sometimes goes against what workers aim for,” said Tswaipe.

He said unions should focus more on ensuring effectiveness of individual members on service delivery, participation by members and building relations with local, regional and international bodies for quality education.