09 May 2024

Government has funded the Parliamentary Caucus on Women with P59 million to support women entrepreneurship.

This was revealed by Parliamentary Caucus on Women chairperson, Assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development Ms Nnaniki Makwinja at a workshop organised by the organisation and pastors to empower women and pray against gender based violence in Lentsweletau on Tuesday.

Also, Ms Makwinja, who is MP for Lentsweletau/Mmopane, thanked First Lady Neo Masisi for being at the forefront on women issues.

She further said the church had joined their cause as the country needed prayers against social ills bedevilling the country such drug abuse, murders and GBV related cases.

Meanwhile, Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Ms Annah Mokgethi said statistics had shown that women in Botswana lagged behind in political representation.

Thus, she said as Parliamentary Caucus on Women they would address such an anomaly.  

Also, she said gender equality must be visible in all sectors of the economy. 

For his part, Reverend Mpho Moruakgomo said churches should be able to groom adults to be in a good position to raise responsible children.

He said GBV was a national crisis, which must be prayed for its end. 

Representatives from Local Enterprises Authority (LEA) and Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) were also present to encourage women to take advantage of the Chema Chema Fund.

Mr Itumeleng Modiakgotla from CEDA said most informal businesses were owned and run by women hence he encouraged them to use the fund to improve their lives.

Adding on to Mr Modiakgotla presentation, LEA representative Ms Kgopotso Seitshiro said applicants should bring their Omang cards, two ID numbers from witnesses, hawker’s license for existing business or an affidavit for a non-existing business. ENDS