Batswana women, a marginalised group!
Michael Dingake | Tuesday August 30, 2016 16:11
That we are a male-dominated society is beyond question. In our homes, men are self-appointed heads of families. The male word is the law, his finger is the power/command. The bulk of household chores is in the hands of women: cooking, laundry, washing of pots, pans, dishes. Women tidy residences, sweep yards, huts, houses or bungalows. For granddads, dads, husbands, sons, uncles, nephews on the other hand, theirs is to relax, play, read, watch TV, now and then entertain male friends with drinks and gossips. Yes, it’s not only women who gossip, men gossip big time! Some men may volunteer to do household chores, those are exceptions. Normally, women are house-slaves.
For reward, women are berated, abused, beaten up, scandalised and not infrequently murdered for no rhyme or reason, except that they are hapless women! Women are unrepresented in local Government Councils, Parliament, Ntlo ya Dikgosi. They have no consolation in religious institutions either. Men treat women like doormats. Why is this? My wife often teases me when I pester her for a favour: “I don’t know what you’ll do without me…!” I am not such a useless bugger as she insinuates. She is aware I play a complimentary role in our relationship. She knows there are things she can do or do better which I may not be capable of doing or capable of doing better; just as there may be things I may excel at. The unvarnished truth is, much of the time we compliment each other. In the absence of either of us from the companionship, the isolated one is likely to suffer inconvenience of some form. Why won’t men admit the incontrovertible fact? Population demographics show that men and women are in equilibrium. Here and there women may be in excess in one place and men more than women in another place, but to a large extent there’s balance between female and male components of human population. More importantly, without male and female, procreation wouldn’t happen. We would become extinct as a species. Why then, has there to be this conflict that men wage interminably against their partners? Why do we discriminate and oppress our counterparts? Often we seem to be intent on annihilating them.
Women play second fiddle, they’re brutalised, treated with contempt, to the extent that some accept their treatment as divine fate. The world political situation has changed ; the franchise is open to all, including black women. In some parts of the world, women have been heads of state a few times. In Botswana, the thought is remote. In 1996 President Sir Ketumile Masire commissioned a group of nine (seven men and two women), to draft ‘a long-term vision for Botswana,’ later adopted and named Vision 2016. The Long Term vision stated as follows inter alia:
“Women constitute 52 percent of the population of Botswana, and have made a major contribution to the country’s development. This has however not been reflected in their full recognition as equal citizens with their male counterparts in law and practice. While the constitution guarantees everyone equality before the law irrespective of gender , certain provisions of customary, common and statutory law discriminates against women…….The policy of women in development recognises these gender inequalities, and seeks to address them in a comprehensive and holistic manner. Botswana is also a signatory to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action that was adopted by the United Nations at the fourth world conference on women in September 1995……..The challenge in the next 20 years is to translate these national and international policy objectives into concrete strategies that will result in the full empowerment of Batswana women. This is important for reasons of social equity and justice, as well as for strengthening the human resource base, increasing economic growth and productivity.”
The Vision was written and adopted in 1996! Women’s major contribution is recognised; there’s admission this hasn’t been reflected in their recognition as equals. There’s policy recognition of inequalities. Challenge for translating the national and international policy objectives hasn’t been met after twenty years! What are women expected to think or do? One cannot stop thinking, rulers are taking Batswana women for granted. Are Batswana men bewitched? What can be done? Botswana is signatory to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Along comes President Ian Khama refusing to sign the 2008 SADC Protocol on Gender and Development, which resolved that by 2015 SADC members should have 50 percent quota of women MPs. Khama’s administration is uninterested.
To the Lieutenant General’s administration, SADC is nuts, by trying to interfere in Botswana’s internal affairs! On August 9, 1956- 60 years ago- women in SA liberation movement, 20 000 of them , stormed Pretoria headquarters of the apartheid regime with a petition for repeal of pass laws. They warned Strydom in song: “Strydom you’ve touched women, you’ve touched a rock, you’ll die!” White Premier, JG Strydom was dead within one year!