allAfrica.com: Botswana: What of Women in Politics? (Page 1 of 1)

There will be no special dispensation for women as political parties go to the primaries in preparation for the 2009 general elections putting into doubt the parties' commitment to women, empowerment.

Women will be expected to fight for constituencies like everyone and this has proved to be difficult for them. Botswana National Front (BNF) spokesperson, Moeti Mohwasa said his party's constitution specifies that 30 percent of posts should be reserved for women where possible. He said this after his party's central committee elections when BNF president Otsweletse Moupo appointed women to the committee as additional members.

However, he said, during the elections it is not possible to reserve any constituencies for women. Mohwasa said they regard elections as a democratic process. "You cannot reserve certain constituencies for women. As much as we encourage women, we do not want a situation where there is tokenism," he said. The BNF official said they encourage other party members to give women an opportunity. "Even in our programmes we teach our members about gender equality. We are continuously educating our people that women have an important role to play in politics".

He said the constituency based election system does not allow them to empower disadvantaged communities. Mohwasa said if the country was using a proportional representation system, his party would put women on top of their list.

He said countries like Sweden and South Africa have been able to attain a high number of women MPs due to their form of electoral system. He argued that this would not have been possible if they were using the same system as in Botswana. He pointed fingers at the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), which takes advantage of the nomination system to appoint women as specially elected MPs.

He said if the proportional representative system was used in the country, they would have disadvantaged groups like the Basarwa on their list. "People have certain prejudices against women and disadvantaged communities like Basarwa," he said.

The BNF spokesperson said they have been able to attain the 30 percent quota in their party structures. He said women make up 33 percent out of the central committee. There are six women who are serving in the 18 member BNF central committee.

"Where it is possible that the party could empower women, we would do it," said Mohwasa. But after the death of Gaborone West North MP Paul Rantao, the BNF failed to replace him with a woman but instead preferred party president, Otsweletse Moupo who was relocated from Selebi Phikwe.

The party could not even consider the then Vice President, Kathleen Letshabo who was defeated in Gaborone Central.

Some BNF members did not take it lightly when one of the party activists, Rhoda Sekogororoane challenged Moupo in the primary elections for Gaborone West North. The same happened when Letshabo challenged Moupo for the presidency at a special congress in May. Letshabo was ridiculed and humiliated by some party members. BDP Executive Secretary, Dr Coma Serema said they are not going to have a special quota for women in the forthcoming general elections. He said the BDP women's wing has called for a quota for women but the matter is still under discussion within the party. Serema said the absence of a quota for women does not mean that the BDP does not believe in their empowerment. "We also believe in democracy, that people should be elected looking at their capability," he said.

The Vice President of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP), Dr Kesitegile Gobotswang said his party does not have a special arrangement for women during the forthcoming general elections. But he said in the past they have fielded women parliamentary candidates around the country.

Gobotswang said the only arrangement that they are making for the forthcoming elections, is that they have moved women candidates to constituencies where they feel the party stands a better chance.

He said Motsei Madisa-Rapelang would relocate from Kgatleng West to Gaborone North. Anna Motlhagodi who contested the Lobatse constituency will move to Gaborone West North.

"We are trying to support women as much as possible but we can't stop people to contest against them," said the BCP leader.

Gobotswang said the involvement of women in politics has always been limited for many reasons. One of the reasons, he said, is that politics has always been regarded as a man's domain. He said there are also cultural reasons why women are doing well in politics. Gobotswang said they have attained the 30 percent quota in their structures.

However, he said when it comes to elections it is not easy to meet the quota.

He said they were revising the party's constitution to see how they could meet the quota. "We want something that can give us a guarantee to meet the quota," he said.

He said they would also like to grant the party president special powers to appoint women and the youth as additional members of the committee. Like Mohwasa, the BCP official said if proportional representation was practiced in the country, they would be able to give women priority on their parliamentary list. The conduct of local political parties contradicts the SADC Draft Protocol on Gender and Development which calls for the appointment of women to 50 percent of leadership positions by 2015.

While women do not dominate leadership positions, they always vote in higher numbers than men. Figures from the 2004 election show that 311,265 women voted compared to 239,148 men.

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