Women empowerment can accelerate economic development
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Tuesday March 3, 2015 10:43
Speaking during the International Women’s Day press briefing recently, Phuthego said studies had proven that when women were given access to productive resources, there was accelerated broader economic development.
“This day presents us with an opportunity to develop strategies of ensuring that we make things work for women’s empowerment and development which should translate into gender equity and equality,” she said.
Phuthego also said the International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW) had revealed that when women have access to time saving technologies economic benefits followed, and that when women were assisted with technology their output far surpassed that of their male counterparts.
Phuthego emphasised that those outcomes empowered women to become stronger leaders and to more effectively contribute financially to their families, communities and countries. To support her theory, she quoted UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon who once said: “Countries with more gender equality have better economic growth. Companies with more women leaders perform better. Peace agreements that include 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.”
Phuthego further said IWD gave them an opportunity to reflect on progress made to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries. She added that they would use the commemoration to examine their success and challenges in empowering women through a critical examination of progress made to date
Phuthego also said promoting gender equality required focused attention in many critical areas such as poverty reduction, democratic governance and access to power and decision-making. “The investments made in women and girls are great multipliers of development progress. Failing to make those investments and to boost the status of women and girls, thwarts the potential not only of individuals but families, communities and a nation,” she said.
Phuthego further said that Botswana has made significant progress in the six critical areas prioritised from the Beijing Declaration and Platform for action which are, Women and Poverty including Economic Empowerment, Women in Power and Decision Making, Education and Training of Women, Women, Women and Health, Violence Against Women and Human Rights of Women and the Girl Child.
For her part, gender activist Ntombi Setshwaelo, said wherever a woman leads there was progression. She also said there are many examples that show that indeed a woman is a strong and capable person. “There are many companies, families, and organisations led by women that have done very well. Have you realised that many children brought up by single women grow up to be better people? Women bring up their children happily and alone only for so-called fathers to claim them when they are older. This is not fair,” she said. She added that conflict on perceptions on gender equality, laws that discriminated against women contributed to women being seen as incompetent people whilst research contradicted that.
International Women’s Day commemorations will be held on March 5, 2015 at the Molepolole stadium, marked under the theme, ‘Make it Happen’.