Women in Botswana have achieved educational parity with men and maintain a strong presence in the workforce, but they still face hurdles in healthcare and political representation, Youth and Gender Affairs Minister Lesego Chombo told participants at the District Gender Forum in Francistown.
Chombo cited figures showing that women’s economic participation in Botswana is at 85.4 percent and that they have reached full parity—100 percent—in educational access. However, the nation’s overall gender parity score is just 73 percent, revealing gaps in health services and in women’s roles in politics.
“A society reaches its full economic potential only when women have equal opportunities to shape it,” Chombo said.
Botswana’s population of 2.36 million is 51 percent female, with young people aged 15-35 comprising over a third of citizens. Yet the country’s 27.6 percent unemployment rate weighs heavily on young women looking for work.
Chombo noted that Botswana is working to close legal gaps by ratifying international agreements such as the Maputo Protocol on women’s rights in 2023 and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2021. Despite these steps, women in Botswana currently enjoy only 64 percent of the legal protections men receive.
In Francistown, home to more than 102,000 people, younger generations mirror these national trends. Chombo outlined government plans to expand job training and support for businesses across all genders. She added that the country’s next development plan will prioritize gender considerations, focusing on workplace equality, combatting gender-based violence, and improving women’s healthcare.
“Our vision demands concrete action in our laws, our budgets, and our daily work,” Chombo said. “Equality on paper means little without resources and commitment behind it.”
The forum, she emphasized, marks an important step in ensuring Botswana’s economic and social gains truly benefit everyone.
