Title: Women economic empowerment in Botswana; successes, challenges and prospects

Authors: Emmanuel Botlhale

Addresses: Department of Political and Administrative Studies, University of Botswana, Private Bag UB 705 Gaborone, Botswana

Abstract: Population sub-groups such as women suffer gender discrimination as sufficiently instanced by poverty. Similarly, women in Botswana disproportionately suffer from developmental challenges such as poverty. As a response, the government has ratified gender-affirming international protocols and passed gender policies. In addition, there are empowerment programs such as the women economic empowerment program. Using the case study approach, this paper asked: "Does the women economic empowerment program lead to women economic empowerment in Botswana?" It concluded that, largely, the program empowered women, for example, providing them with a livelihood. However, there are challenges like lack of a comprehensive women empowerment program and issues specific to the program such as access to markets, credit and lack of business acumen. The paper concludes that: women economic empowerment must be part of broad public policy reforms; and issues specific to women economic empowerment programs must be addressed to ensure their efficiency and effectiveness.

Keywords: women; economic empowerment; women economic empowerment program; Botswana.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGSDS.2017.089359

International Journal of Gender Studies in Developing Societies, 2017 Vol.2 No.2, pp.111 - 129

Received: 05 Nov 2016
Accepted: 08 Jun 2017
Published online: 21 Jan 2018 *

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