Activists want more women in Botswana’s National Assembly

GABORONE, BOTSWANA — 

Three retired of 28 pistillate candidates were elected to Botswana’s National Assembly successful past week’s wide election, arsenic women’s rights activists called connected the caller medication to summation pistillate practice successful the nation’s politics.

Helen Manyeneng of the caller ruling party, the Umbrella for Democratic Change, is 1 of the 3 pistillate members of parliament successful the 61-seat assembly.

The UDC defeated the Botswana Democratic Party, which had held powerfulness since the state gained independency successful 1966.

Manyeneng said women look galore challenges, including poverty, successful their efforts to triumph governmental office.

“We person precise debased socio-economic presumption successful Botswana arsenic women,” she said. “The past authorities showed nary governmental volition to assist. I deliberation arsenic a recently elected pistillate MP, I americium going to advocator for women economical empowerment.”

Manyeneng said the patriarchal quality of Botswanan society, successful which men person greater power implicit wealth and decision-making, restricts pistillate information successful authorities adjacent though women are funny and capable.

“The contented is, who is expected to elevate them?” she said. “Who is expected to assistance them? If you let yourself to beryllium nether a antheral ... who is assisting you financially, helium volition not let you to basal for governmental position. The bulk of men privation to control. They don’t privation to beryllium controlled oregon don’t privation to stock that power with you.”

The determination nonprofit enactment Gender Links released a study connected Botswana earlier the October 30 election. It raised concerns astir “missing women’s voices successful politics.”

Gender Links advisor Pamela Dube said Botswana has done excessively small to empower women.

“It is simply a bittersweet situation,” Dube said. “It has been similar this for a precise agelong time. Fifty-eight years aboriginal [since Botswana’s independency from the U.K.], we lone person 3 women successful parliament.”

Botswana’s “patriarchal society,” she said, “does not judge women tin lead, peculiarly successful areas similar politics.”

On Wednesday, recently elected President Duma Boko utilized a peculiar dispensation to sanction 3 much women to the National Assembly.

“We wanted to scope retired arsenic broadly arsenic imaginable to bring successful young women, successful particular, with skills and visibility successful society,” helium said. “And past of course, we had to look astatine expanding the fig of women [in parliament].”

The peculiar appointments mean Botswana’s parliament has 9% pistillate representation, inactive good beneath the Southern African Development Community people of 30%.