PRESS STATEMENT ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY - 8 MARCH 2009

“Sharing the Caring for the Future”

DITSHWANELO – The Botswana Centre for Human Rights, Women Against Rape, Kagisano Women’s Shelter Project and the Botswana Council of Women join the rest of the world in commemorating International Women’s Day on 8 March 2009. These three organisations are partnering in the “Africa for Women’s Rights:  Ratify and Respect” year-long Campaign which will begin on International Women’s Day. Civil society organisations from Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Caper Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Congo Brazzaville, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Mali, Malawi, Mauritania, Mozambique, Morocco, Nigeria, Niger, Central African Republic, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe are also participating in the campaign. The campaign will focus on the issues of discrimination and violence against women, weak adherence to international and regional women’s human rights protection instruments and the failure of States to make necessary legal and political reforms to end violations of women’s rights.

The theme for this year’s celebration in Botswana is “Sharing the Caring for the Future”. Shared rights and shared responsibilities of adults are necessary for nurturing of responsible adults of future Botswana.

International Women’s day has been observed since the early 1900s. It is an opportunity for the world to reflect on the milestones or achievements which have been made by governments, development agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), communities and individuals in order to attain equality for women.

In this regard, the undersigned organisations acknowledge the fact that the Government of Botswana has committed itself to various international and regional instruments aimed at ensuring that women’s rights are promoted and respected. In 1996 Botswana ratified the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

At a regional level, in 1997, Botswana committed itself to the principles of the SADC Declaration on Gender and Development and in 1998 committed itself to the Addendum on the Prevention and Eradication of Violence against Women and Children.

At the national level, the undersigned organisations are aware of efforts which have been made by the Botswana Government to elevate the Women’s Affairs Division to the Department of Women’s Affairs. This has resulted in the Department facilitating the promotion of gender-sensitive national policies as well as coordinating capacity development training on various aspects of gender and development.

Whilst acknowledging that a number of strides have been made by the Government to advance the rights of women, the undersigned organisations call upon the Government to ensure that the international and regional instruments relating to women, to which Botswana is a party, are implemented through the strengthening of institutional capacities in both government and civil society.

We further call on the Government to show its commitment to women’s rights through the ratification of the Optional Protocol to CEDAW as well as the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s rights on the Rights of Women in Africa. The Optional Protocol to CEDAW allows individual women to seek redress for violations. The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa recognises the crucial role of women in the preservation of African values based on the principles of equality, freedom, dignity, justice and democracy.

The undersigned urge the Government to encourage the private sector to adopt and implement gender sensitive policies within the workplace. Political parties should also seriously commit themselves to increasing the level of representation of women in decision making and in local politics. By developing strategies to promote the improvement of women’s economic, political and social status, women’s participation in development will be further enhanced. We believe that this step will assist the country to attain the goal of “sharing the caring for the future” in keeping with the national vision of a compassionate, just and caring nation by 2016.

DITSHWANELO –THE Botswana Centre for Human Rights
Women Against Rape
Kagisano Women’s Shelter Project
The Botswana Council of Women
 

8 March 2009
Gaborone

For more information, please contact DITSHWANELO – The Botswana Centre for Human Rights at Tel: 267 390 6998 Fax: 267 3907778, Website: www.ditshwanelo.info.bw, Email:admin.ditswanelo@info.bw/ditshawnelo-myfuturetoday@info.org.bw