Women's voice in Parliament lowers to 4.9%

Kabelo Boranabi | Wednesday November 6, 2024 09:54

The 2024 General Election has seen the lowest women representation in Parliament since 1979 with only three from 28 who was vying for the 61 parliamentary seats. The ruling party, Umbrella for Democratic Change’s (UDC) Helen Pushie Manyeneng became the first woman to be elected to Parliament in the recent polls. It was tightly contested race for Mmopane-Metsimotlhabe Constituency against James Lekgetho of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP).

It took just 120 ballots for Manyeneng to pip her closest to Botswana’s 13th Parliament. It was however a landslide win for Maipelo Mophuting of the UDC in the Bonnington North Constituency as she had a more than 1,200 votes lead over Anna Mokgethi of the BDP. The Botswana Congress Party’s (BCP) Unity Dow completes the triangle with a slim margin win in the Kgatleng West Constituency. Dow remains the only woman to return from the 12th Parliament, where he had held a Specially Elected member seat. The ousted BDP’s women representation failed to attain a single seat in Parliament for the first time close to five decades.

Former ministers, including, Dorcas Makgato and Peggy Serame were rejected at the polls. With only three women in Parliament, their voice has been reduced to just 4.9 percent, the lowest in almost 50 years. In the previous Parliament, the number had increased to 12 out of 57 elected members, representing about 21%. Four additional women were specially elected, bringing the total number of women in Parliament to 16 out of 61 members, representing approximately 26%. Speaking following her victory, Manyeneng hinted that cultural obligations remain a hindrance for women to excel in the political sphere. In her heartfelt appreciation to her husband she said ,

“Ke rata go go leboga thata go mpha nako yago tsamaya le kgaolo, ke sa go cleanele, ke sago apeele, ke sago tlhatlwetse hela yaaka mme a tshwanetse a dira.” In an interview she said she would with the other women voted in Parliament help advocate for the improved well being of women and girls in the country.