MODULE 5

WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT

DEFINITION OF CONCEPTS

Women in development: - The process or act of involving females in promoting change

or growth taking place in societies or countries aimed at improving the living standards of
females.

Women Empowerment: - The act of giving women a chance to take part in decision
making or the running of affairs of their societies.

Gender: - This refers to the social traits attributed to being either a female or a male.

Gender Discrimination: - The act of treating women differently from men.

Gender mainstreaming: -

Feminism: - The belief that women should and can achieve equality with men.

WOMEN IN THE PRE-COLONIAL SOCIETIES

The roles of women in the pre-colonial era were clearly defined with reference to
different aspects of life. These include the following;

A. Labour
Labour was divided according to gender and age. Women were responsible for the
upbringing of children. They fetched water, collected firewood and gathered wild fruits.
They actively took part in almost all domestic chores.

B. Land Entitlement
During the pre-colonial period, women could not own land. It was believed that land was
in the hands of men since they were regarded as breadwinners.

C. Power and Authority

Women rarely held the chieftainship position. Rulers and chiefs were usually men.

D. Marriage
The decision over whom to marry rested upon the parents. Girls were first told who they
were to marry without questioning the discretion of the concerned parents.

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WOMEN IN THE COLONIAL SOCIETIES
The appearance of the ‘colonial powers’ in the traditional societies did not bring any
changes whatsoever. Instead it became more of a burden to women socially,
economically and politically.

Socially it encouraged more boys than girls to enrol in schools. This was done under the
pretext that they had to look after the sick, the old and children. Moreover, it was argued
that they were supposed to be married at an early age.

Economically, women had to perform a double role inn the absence of their husbands
who went to work in the colonialists’ farms, mines and factories in order to obtain money
to pay tax. Women were removed from their traditional lands to the infertile reserves
which did not favour agriculture.

Politically, women were still not allowed to take part in important decision making issues
like arranging the marriage of a daughter. Furthermore, they could still not attend kgotla
meetings since they were regarded as ‘minors’.

WOMEN IN THE POST COLONIAL SOCIETIES

The period after the colonial period saw the lives of women taking a positive turn.
Women started gradually enjoying the same opportunities with their male counterparts in
areas such as employment, entrepreneurship, leadership positions, acquisition of self
reliance skills, setting up organisations aimed at fighting for their rights.

IMPACT OF TRADITIONAL VALUES, NORMS, CUSTOMS, TABOOS AND

MYTHS ON WOMEN
Taboos
Women did not have access to certain food stuffs. There were certain customs that
restricted women to eat certain food stuffs like kidneys, .head etc

Decision making
Women were not allowed to take part in running affairs of their respective villages.
Decision making was centred on men as they were regarded as breadwinners. It was
believed that women could not come up with productive decisions.

Land ownership
Men had rights over land allocated by the chiefs and women owned this land through
their husbands. This is to say that women did not have access to land as property.

Chieftainship
Women were not allowed to rule their communities. The position of chieftainship was
reserved for men. Chieftainship was hereditary and only the boy child could inherit it.

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Initiation schools
Girls were expected to attend initiation ceremonies in preparation for womanhood.
Through this, girls learnt how women should behave.

EFFECTS OF COLONIALISM ON WOMEN

Colonialism had severe economic, social and political effects on the lives of women.
Women continued to experience the ill-treatment from their male counterparts as well as
from the colonial masters .They suffered tripartite oppression. That is to say, they
suffered as women, as blacks and as colonial objects.

Economic effects

Wages
The environment forced women to perform which earned them low/meagre wages. That
is, women were lowly paid compared to men.

Introduction of cash crop farming

This disadvantaged women in that they had to concentrate in producing for family
consumption while men produced to sell.

Increased workload
The introduction of cash crops by the forced more men to migrate to the plantations
owned by the colonial masters thus increasing women’s role in the production process.
The spirit of Division of Labour collapsed instantly.

Land Entitlement
The colonialists further insisted the right to ownership of land in favour of men. Women
owned land through their spouses.

Decline in agricultural production

The absence of men meant that agriculture as the main economic activity was entirely left
in the hands of women.

Social effects

Female headed families

The absence of men who had migrated to the plantations meant that women were left
with all the social responsibilities in their respective families. They had to discipline the
children (both boys and girls) to maintain law and order in families. This usually met
resistance on the boy’s side.

Education

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With the introduction of modern education system, more boys than girls were encouraged
to go to school. Very little was done to change the olden practise. This resulted in more
women remaining illiterate.

Family breakdown

Some men went away for longer periods of time. This weakened the relationships that
used to exist between spouses.

Initiation schools

Colonialism discouraged the olden practice of ‘ bojale ‘ as primitive and introduced

modern education system which promoted white supremacy. They associated this
traditional form of education as wicked and evil.

Political effects

Decision making

Even after the arrival of the colonialists, women could not actively take part in running
the affairs of their communities as well as their families in particular. Like the African
men they believed that women could not make productive decisions.

Chieftainship

Women were denied the chance to occupy leadership positions like being chiefs in their
respective societies or villages. Chieftainship continued to be hereditary in favour of male
children.

Problems faced by women

Gender Based Violence (Rape, Physical Abuse, Passion killings)

Rape
Women have for a long time being vulnerable or exposed to the risk of being raped by
their male counterparts. Botswana Police has so far registered many cases of having
sexual relations by force. Statistics show that among the registered cases, women are
mostly the victims. Rape exposes women to various socio-economic risks like unwanted
pregnancies, catching sexually transmitted diseases and abortion.
Physical Abuse

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Many women are subjected to beatings or assaults by men. This is common among
married couples especially in a situation where the wife is a dependant.
Passion Killings
Many women are victims of passion killings as shown by the 2003-2007 cases of passion
killings which rate to 316 women victims compared to the 42 men victims.

Teenage Pregnancy
Many lady teenagers experience a situation whereby they have to break from school as a
result of falling pregnant.

Female headed families

A larger percentage of women are breadwinners and heads of their families because they
are not married i.e. there is a dominance of the single parent families.

High Unemployment Rate

Due to high population of women in Botswana compared to men it therefore results in
many of them failing to find jobs. They will then divert their attention to informal
businesses like selling home made foodstuffs, cleaning other people’s yards etc.

Unequal Rates of Payments

In some countries women are given lower earnings compared to men even when they are
performing similar tasks.

Inaccessibility to certain rights

In some traditional societies women area still discouraged from going to school, thus
denying them the right to education. This is common in male dominated societies.

Possible Solutions to these Problems

Social workers should put more effort in helping women.

Teenagers should be made aware of the negative effects of pregnancy through the
formation of counselling groups or organisations such as PACT.

The government should impose firm punishment on those who abuse women.

Equal job opportunities should be provided.

There should be Equal pay for both men and women.

Acts like the Sexual Discrimination Act of Europe which was introduced in 1965 should
be adopted by all countries.

Maintenance allowances should be increased to go with the changing times.

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Reasons for Educating Women

To reduce illiteracy so that they can be able to accept change. It is argued that, an
educated person under normal circumstances is willing to accept change.

Decision making – educated women just like men, can make intelligent and productive
decisions. Some can even fight hard to find solutions to problems that have been in
existence for a long time.

To secure better paid jobs – an educated woman stands a better chance of securing a
highly paid job than those who are not educated.

Ensuring proper health care for the family – since women spend a lot of time in the home
with the children, they are likely to live under good conditions, eat balanced diets and
take regular medical check-ups. This may lead to a decline in infant mortality.

Ability to use family planning – an educated woman will encourage the use of
contraceptives and plan her family.

Emerging Roles of Women

a) Equal access to land

Women are now holding top places in the workplace. They are directors, managers,
permanent secretaries etc. Women can now occupy top positions, which used to be held
by men only.

b) New Policies

In the past, there were policies that discriminated against women. Married women were
not allowed to do anything without the consent of their husbands. For instance, a married
woman could not get a loan from a bank without the signature of the husband but a
married man could easily obtain a loan from the bank without the consent of the wife.

c) Women-Oriented Schemes

In many developing countries all over the world, women are getting together to set up
businesses. E.g. in Botswana we have Uniform Agency Botswana, Itireleng and Tsogang
Women horticulture project, Tonota Areyeng Basadi which has a bakery and sewing
centre.

d) Female- Headed Households

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Women head more than 50% of households in Botswana. Women are working hard to
provide for their families without any help from men.

The Role Played By Women in Politics in Southern Africa

The fight for women’s rights has brought about political changes in many governments in
Southern Africa. Government policies and laws support women’s freedom and give them
access to opportunities in life. More and more women in Southern Africa are being given
important influential, public and political positions. For instance, in South Africa in the
1960’s Helen Suzman the leader of the Progressive Federal Party was the only woman in
parliament. Today women constitute about 30% of South Africa’s parliament. In
Botswana, women today constitute 20% unlike in the past when it was only Dr. Chiepe.
This shows a significant increase in the number of women in political positions. Presently
women in parliament include the following:
- Hon. G. Kokorwe
- Hon. M. Nasha
- Hon. T. Seretse
- Hon. S. Tlou
- Hon. P.Venson-Moitoi
- Hon. L. Motsumi
- Hon. M. Mbakanyi

This list excludes women in other influential positions like permanent secretaries,
directors of government departments, chief executive officers etc.

EMERGENCE OF WOMEN ORGANISATIONS IN BOTSWANA

There are several women’s organizations that are meant to improve the living standards
of women. The organisations can be classified into four groups

a) Lobbyist organisations

These are organisations that campaign for the liberal laws. They educate the public about
the laws that discriminate against women and they also advice the government on how
best to remedy the situation. A good example is Emang Basadi. The main aim of the
organisation is to identify and advice the government to remove laws that discriminate
against women. It also helps women start small projects that could help them to improve
the quality of their lives.

b) Legal Organisations

These ones are concerned with giving women legal advice and representing them in
court. An example is Metlhaetsile in Mochudi whose main aim is to provide legal and
counseling services to women.

c) Educational Organisations

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These are mainly concerned with the educational status of women in Botswana. They
assist women to get better education and skills so that they can get better employment.
E.g. Y.W.C.A
Y.W.C.A encourages self-employment through programmes such as child development
and handcrafts. It provides day care services and readmits teenage mothers who cannot be
readmitted in government schools.

d) Welfarist Organisations

These are more concerned with the social and economic welfare of women. Examples
include: B.C.W, W.A.R etc.

Women Organisations in Botswana

Women’s Affairs department

Women in Botswana have for a long time recognised their position and participation in
the process of development. This has led to the formation of voluntary women’s
organisations to try and improve their status and empower themselves to fully take part in
the development of their country.

Emang Basadi

It was formed in1986. Its main aim was to address issues related to the welfare of
women.

Objectives of Emang Basadi

To undertake activities which encourage women to fully develop themselves.

To increase awareness among women and the general public about problems faced by
women.

To develop strategies and mobilise women to take steps in empowering themselves and
change their social, economic, political and legal status.

To highlight and acknowledge the important role played by women in development.

Young Women Christian Association (YWCA)

YWCA was formed in 1967 and has branches in many parts of the world. Its main aim is
to promote Christian live among women.

Objectives of YWCA

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To serve the society without discrimination based on race and nationality.

To provide community service such as setting health posts, running youth groups, helping
destitutes and establishing day-care-centres.

Botswana Council of Women (BCW)

BCW was formed in 1965 with a clear aim of providing women with self-reliance skills
and to make them aware of their basic human rights.

Achievements of BCW

It has established over 33 nursery schools in the country.

It offers courses on dressmaking and fashion design

It has successfully managed to organise several workshops for women.

It has fought hard for the eradication of all forms of discrimination against women.

Problems of BCW

Lack of money
Lack of support
Lack of cooperation among members
Lack of skilled personnel

Botswana Christian Council (BCC)

BCC provides training to women so that they can acquire business skills.
It finances projects such as weaving and baking. e.g. Etsha Weaving. It encourages
women to live a Christian life.

Business Professional Women

BPW was formed in 1972 with branches in Mochudi, Gaborone and Maun

Objectives of BPW

To make women realise their business and professional responsibility in the economic
and social set-up of their country.

To promote the interest of women in order to secure a combined action

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To help women acquire certain skills in the running of enterprises.

Role of Women Organisations in the Prevention of HIV / AIDS and

other Transmittable Diseases

Organisations like the YWCA encourage their members to live a Christian life and
abstain from several activities before marriage hence the prevention of HIV / AIDS and
other STIs.
Most women take care in community based care.
Many women are employed in health institutions that enable them to teach others about
HIV/AIDS and its effects on the society.
Women organise workshops where they share information on HIV / AIDS. They are fully
engaged in the implementation of awareness campaigns

Women in the Formal and Informal Sectors of the Economy

Formal

Some women are employed in the formal sector as nurses, doctors, accountants, etc in
both the private and government sectors.

Some women hold challenging managerial positions while others are members of
parliament and cabinet ministers.

Women form a larger percentage of the clerical world.

Informal

Women sell clothes, food and other items in the market.

They are engaged in the production of craft work.

Some are involved in the thrift loan societies.

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Wealth Disparities between Men and Women

Women have always been denied the chance to get formal employment. They looked
after the young the elderly and cared for the sick and those with disabilities while men
went to work to create wealth. Since then, women have always been lagging behind in
the creation of their own wealth.

Men often get promoted to higher positions ahead of women even when women are
equally good at the job.

Jobs that most women are trained to do often pay less than those which men are trained to
do.

In Botswana,

Women are concentrated in the low paying jobs.

Most women are illiterate.

Women are sometimes denied the chance to secure employment in other institutions.

Men have more control in the livestock industry than women.

A larger percentage of women is found in the informal sector.

Women at times lack confidence and they cannot afford to take risks.

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