Earn your keep, Khama tells BDP women
President Ian Khama has challenged Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) women to take themselves seriously if they want to be taken seriously in the political circles.
Khama, who is also the leader of the BDP said this during the inaugural BDP Women’s Wing General Assembly in Mahalapye over the weekend. The three-day assembly was a platform for BDP women to dialogue on issues of political, social and economic empowerment.
“It is critical to mention that for you to be afforded roles within the political sphere, it is crucial that you also take seriously that responsibility and the need to support each other in this respect. However, this is only possible if the women take themselves and their role in politics seriously,” said Khama.
The President stated that women across all sectors of society need to take responsibility for their own empowerment perhaps now even more, going forward than was done over the years. He reiterated that at government level, the BDP is committed to the advancement of women as shown by policies and programmes.
Khama told the assembly that women make the majority of the country’s population and within the membership of the BDP as well, “thus cementing the need to stand up and indicate their willingness to be part of the leadership.” He indicated that as the BDP leadership they would do their part to encourage the women.
He commended the Women’s Wing for their initiatives especially the Paper Brick Project. He said the project is demonstrating a dual effect of employment creation, as well as being environmentally friendly.
“It will be recalled that the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals link economic progress and poverty reduction to equal opportunities for women and men. It also recognises the importance of narrowing disparities between them. Consequently, in 2015, government adopted the National Policy on Gender and Development. The policy speaks to the issue of gender mainstreaming as a core strategy to sustainable development,” he stated.
