Africa-Press – Botswana. Botswana has received accolades for efforts to promote gender equality as well as the significant progress it has made in implementing the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
This year marks the beginning of the 30 years after the Beijing Declaration, the most important international declaration in blueprint for advancing women’s rights.
Speaking at the International Women’s Day commemoration in Paje on Wednesday, UN resident coordinator, Mr Zhia Choudry said women and girls had made huge gains across the world and in Botswana. He said as women and girls were being celebrated around the world, it was also worthy to celebrate what had been achieved in the fight for equality.
He said Batswana women, who went to the Beijing conference in 1995 had to be recognised and celebrated. Mr Choudry commended Botswana for being a successive government and hailed the current leadership for having made sustainable advancements to improve the socio-economic wellbeing of women and girls as well as strengthening national legislation and policy framework for gender equality and women empowerment, all in the interest of realising women’s rights.
He said the focus of the day was about investing in women as best as it was possible, to accelerate progress and achieve gender equality. “Culturally we can talk about our commitment to gender equality but it does not mean much if you do not back it up with resources,” said Mr Choudry.
Minister of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture, Mr Tumiso Rakgare said the role of women in development was so great that educating a woman equaled educating society. He said from ancient times, women supported families and had played a major role in building the economy of the country and therefore, it was appropriate to continue to encourage them to work hard because if women were empowered, Batswana would be saved.
He praised President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi for increasing funds allocated for women’s programmes as a sign that he recognised their needs.
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