Women empowerment multi beneficial � Molokomme
Gothataone Moeng | Wednesday March 12, 2014 16:03
Speaking during a reception hosted by French Ambassador Anne de la Blanche to celebrate International Women’s Day, Molokomme noted that it was a moment for governments, non-governmental organisations and individuals to recommit themselves to play their part to eliminate gender inequality.
Molokomme said despite the growing tendency to ask what more women want, much still remains to be done to achieve gender equality, which she described as both a basic human right and an economic imperative.
Commemorated under the theme, ‘Equality for women is progress for all’, the idea was to confirm the link between the empowerment of women and the progress of nations. A link, Molokomme said, that has always been known and is becoming more evident with the passage of time.
Molokomme quoted the United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Kin Moon who, in his speech commemorating the day, said:
“Countries with more gender equality have better economic growth. Companies with more women leaders perform better.
Peace agreements that include more women are more durable. Parliaments with more women enact more legislation on key social issues such as health, education, anti-discrimination and child support. The evidence is clear: equality for women means progress for all.”
Molokomme reiterated that empowering women results in multiple benefits to others, particularly when it comes to improved nutrition, better education and good health for their families and communities.
For her part, de la Blanche said while women make up 70 percent of the people who live on less than a dollar a day worldwide, the effect their empowerment has on development reaches beyond that achieved by men.
“Women empowerment is building for the future,” she said.
De la Blanche said while women are a source of economic vitality across Africa, discrimination continues to hinder their opportunities.
“Supporting women as an economic agent means giving women all the possibilities of education, economic and civil independence, then it becomes a game-changer for a country,” she said.