Widening the frontiers of democracy: towards a transformative agenda in Botswana politics

Abstract

This article is about the struggles of Batswana women to attain gender equality. The article traces women's exclusion from public decision-making much broadly as a fundamental feature of the Tswana patriachal structure. This situation tends to reinforce itself within the public sphere in terms of discriminatory legislation and other forms of marginalization. The favorable international climate and the institutionalizationof the women's movement are identified as some of the factors that have helped to bring about positive change. However, it is urged that in order for their marginalization to be effectively addressed, the focus of the women's movement should not be on increasing numbers per se, but on transforming institutions. Women representatives should be at the forefront of pushing this transformative agenda.