09 Mar 2025

The wife of the Chinese Ambassador to Botswana, Counselor Cui Yin has appluaded women for shaping not only their communities but the entire world.

Speaking during a celebration marking Women’s Day recently in Gaborone, she said ‘women hold up half the sky,’ quoting a former Chinese Communist Party leader Mao Zedong,.

“The proverb, which signifies the invaluable contributions of women to society, serves as a reminder of the vital role women play in shaping not only their communities but the entire world,” she said, highlighting the profound importance of women in global progress.

Counselor Cui said it was evident that women’s contributions were essential in every aspect of society.

“From the classrooms to boardrooms, from the halls of power to the fields, women continue to shape our collective future,” she stated, reinforcing that the message was a powerful call for equality.

She underscored that equality was not just a matter of justice but also a fundamental element of prosperity and progress for all.

Reflecting on the proverb’s universal appeal, Counselor Cui pointed that the quote resonated beyond China, especially in Botswana, where the Setswana proverb ‘Mosadi ke thari ya sechaba,’ meaning ‘women are the pillars of the nation,’ carries a similar sentiment.

She noted that women in Botswana continued to break barriers and excel in various sectors, including government, education, agriculture and healthcare.

“Today, women constitute 47 per cent of the formal workforce, a testament to their essential role in driving the nation’s development,” she said, emphasising their undeniable contribution to the country’s progress.

Counselor Cui reiterated the Chinese Embassy’s long-standing commitment to advocating for women’s rights in Botswana.

“We are committed to ensuring that women’s voices are heard and their contributions recognised, with a shared goal of building a world that is inclusive, equal and full of opportunities for everyone,” she affirmed.

She also reiterated the embassy’s unwavering support for women’s development in the country.

“We are dedicated to fostering cooperation with our Botswana friends to build a society rooted in gender equality, inclusive development and contributing to a shared future for humanity,” she said.

Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Ms Helen Manyeneng said the commemoration held under the theme ‘Accelerate Action’ was a call for greater investment in women and gender equality, emphasising that accelerating action required a multi-faceted approach to tackle systemic barriers, social norms and power dynamics.

She called for increased efforts to promote economic empowerment, boost women’s leadership and representation, combat gender-based violence (GBV) and improve access to digital technologies. Ms Manyeneng noted that those actions were crucial for advancing gender equality and securing Botswana’s future prosperity.

“Investing in women means providing them access to finances, technologies, and markets, which will enable them to expand their businesses and contribute to sustained economic growth and development,” she said.

Ms Manyeneng also addressed the issue of women’s representation in politics, noting the thorny issue of gender imbalance in both central and local government.“Women’s representation stood at 11 per cent in the previous parliament and has since declined to 8.9 percent,” she said, stressing the need for more concerted efforts to eliminate barriers to women’s participation in decision-making roles.

She said they needed to take accelerated action now, and emphasised that achieving gender equality across all spheres required close collaboration between government and civil society. Ms Manyeneng also highlighted that GBV remained a stark reminder of the violence women and girls continue to face in Botswana.

She urged women to rise up and take charge, stressing that their leadership in households and families was a testament to their potential for greater influence.

“As much as women can manage household duties and lead families, it proves they are more than capable of accelerating further progress in all sectors,” she said. ENDS