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date: 11 February 2025

Women in Botswanalocked

Women in Botswanalocked

  • Annette A. LaRoccoAnnette A. LaRoccoDepartment of Political Science, Florida Atlantic University

Summary

Botswana is a stable, multiparty democracy often lauded as an “African miracle.” Despite the optimistic discourse, scholars have critiqued this characterization along numerous lines, including by noting the ambiguous status of women in the country. While making some strides in education and the private sector, Botswana lags behind its regional neighbors in terms of women's political representation. Moreover, for most of precolonial, colonial, and postcolonial history, women occupied an explicitly inferior position in law and society. It is only since the late 1980s that women in Botswana have been able to challenge their formal legal subservience to men, largely due to pressure from an active women’s movement. However, gender-oriented civil society (like all civil society in Botswana) has been impacted by a lack of donor funding since the country’s classification as being middle income, leading some to argue that the movement has been weakened. The government, while less recalcitrant than in years past, does not strongly prioritize gender equality outside of discursive support for gender mainstreaming and women’s economic empowerment. In fact, its approach can be described as largely gender-neutral and opposed to “special treatment,” with a reluctance to view the state as having a role in leveling the playing field. This is despite pervasive obstacles women continue to face in social, cultural, and political contexts.

Subjects

  • Women’s History

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