She said that women are required to dress in black after the death of their husbands, but men are not made to do the same. She was responding to a participant from Swaziland who told the conference that they are required to wear the black mourning dress for a year after the death of their husbands. "This thing brings you down," Legwaila said. He added that women must stand up for their rights because men would not speak for them. Speaking to Mmegi, she acknowledged that there are women who choose to wear the black dress even when they have not been forced to. She cited incidents in which men wore black attire to mourn their spouses. She stated that in many instances, women wear the black dress voluntarily saying they are doing it for their husbands. "If they want to do that, there is nothing we can do," she said.
Each of the participating countries was required to report on gender issues at the workplace and challenges facing women in the police service and their working conditions. Participants urged women to work hard to be recognised instead of always complaining and demanding promotion because of their gender. They said there is limited forum for expressing concerns. "The police association in Botswana is a toothless dog," one participant complained. Others said that the interests of women in SARPCCO are not catered for.
