12 Sep 2016

Chairperson of Botswana Democratic Party’s (BDP) women’s wing, Ms Dorcus Makgatho says women are the strength of the party.

Speaking during Central Region’s elective congress in Serowe on Saturday (September 10), Ms Makgato encouraged women of the BDP to use their strength to actively contest for party positions and be ‘unapologetic about it.’ 

Ms Makgato, who is a Minister of Health and also Sefhare/Ramokgonami MP compared women to thari for their strength and resilience in working as the foot soldiers of the BDP.

However, Ms Makgato who is amongst the few women in Parliament was astonished with women for chickening out in their campaigns, whilst they could successfully execute campaigns of their male counterparts. 

“Your strength lies inside you, don’t mortgage it,” she said.

Consequently, Ms Makgato challenged BDP women to attend all party functions that require their presence saying that other logistics like feeding and accommodation should be onus of the party. She said an empowered woman would radiate confidence and avoid such famous political lines as, ‘Ba re ke eme’ (They say I should stand) but, ‘Ka re ke a ema’ (I declare my candidature).

To usher in such a period, Ms Makgato said women should start understanding politics and living it. Understanding politics encompasses developing dirty politicking absorbers against opponents. 

Consequently, the women’s wing established political education committee to help address such challenges as dirty politicking which usually leave some women as bystanders. 

At the same congress, Dr Serara Moahi of Baranatha Academy of Excellence inducted the BDP women’s wing on team building and unity amongst a host of positives in her bag.  

She said parties were faced with challenges of disunity and lack of teamwork.

Thus, Dr Moahi said team building was key for organisations and life in general.  She said women had special talents like being motherly that could be harnessed in a team-building exercise. 

The BDP central region met inter alia to vote for regional leadership, an event that was postponed to October to let procedures take precedence. 

Also, the region met to empower the party’s women with requisite skills that would necessitate them to participate actively in the party’s functions, which would subsequently see them standing for 2019 elections in good numbers, both for parliament and councils.  The BDP central women were also inducted on their roles and responsibilities in the party and some economic empowerment for them. ENDS