31 Jul 2024

The Clicking Generation Trust recently hosted a graduation ceremony for the second cohort of 27 women in the political space who completed a programme on social media usage for campaigns.

Participants included women who held political seats as well as those contending for council and parliamentary seats in the coming general elections and those aspiring to be members of the Village Development Committee. 

The programme spearheaded by The Clicking Generation Trust is birthed out of the African Union Charter Project - African Charter on Democracy Elections and Governance, which highlights the importance of women taking up space in politics and governance.

Speaking during the graduation ceremony, project coordinator and also founder of The Clicking Generation Trust, Ms Agang Ditlhogo said the programme, social media for campaigns, spoke to technology as it related to issues of governance and leadership.

She said when they embarked on the project, their vision was to equip women across Botswana with the skills and knowledge to harness the power of social media for impactful campaigns.

“We knew that in today’s digital age, social media is not just a tool for communication but a powerful platform for change, advocacy, and growth. 

Our mission was to ensure that women in our communities could leverage these tools to amplify their voices, champion their causes and drive meaningful change,” she added.

She, therefore, implored participants to lead with integrity and speak against corruption, unethical practices and build a better Botswana should they emerge victorious in the elections.

Ms Ditlhogo encouraged them to strive to build character and discipline, and motivated them to look forward to a future where empowered women were at the forefront of driving change and making a difference in the country and beyond.

She revealed the programme had five sessions both in person and online where they explored thematic areas to include traditional campaigning, mental health and campaigning, issues of misinformation and disinformation, interacting with the media and cyber security among others.

She thanked support from their sponsors among them the US embassy, Charter Project Africa, Democracy Works, European Partnership on Democracy and Futurelect.

The co-founder and also the operation director of The Clicking Generation Trust, Ms Tsaone Gaborone said the project gave women the opportunity to explore insightful techniques through focus group discussions and engaging case studies to gain knowledge for impactful campaigns.

She noted that they focused on the traditional method of campaigning to establish whether participants knew their rights, the resources and personnel needed during campaigns.

Ms Gaborone noted that participants were also drilled on how to become responsible citizens offline and online to gain trusts from the public.

Participants appreciated the project, saying it was an eye opener as they acquired skills they  needed to carry on their campaigns.

“The prgramme has enriched my experience, simplified my work and taught me to be creative to excel in my duties. It is user friendly, designed made to make learning efficient, effective and engaging ensuring that it seamless fit into the schedule of what I am doing on daily basis,” said one of the graduates, Ms Emelinah Saidoo, a secretary at Maun East constituency office.

The programme, she said used different applications which could also help empower women to support themselves and their families and wished many could take advantage of it. Ends