Elections 2024 audit reveals democratic erosion

Despite Botswana’s reputation as one of the countries with a stable democracy in Sub Saharan Africa, it is in a state of “democratic erosion” when it comes to women in political participation, according to a new study released by Gender Links. 

According to the report, while Batswana and the international community celebrated the ushering of a new government after Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) stormed to victory “an uneasy truth accompanied these celebrations as women’s representation in every sphere of political decision-making took a knock, raising fundamental questions about the meaning of democracy.” The study says “gains made over decades to push for gender equality and greater participation of women in politics went up in smoke as only three out of the 28 women who contested for seats in the National Assembly made it.” It says Botswana, host of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) secretariat, slid to 8.7% women in parliament, the lowest in the regional groups’ ranking, at the very moment when all countries around the world are working towards women’s equal and effective participation in political decision making. 

“Women’s representation at the local level, a key sphere for women, has dropped with each successive election to the current level of 15%. The only glimmer of hope is the increase of women in cabinet, from 17% to 22%, and indications that the new government is committed to changing the narrative,” the study says. 

According to the audit, there has been fluctuation over 15-year period, having improved to over 10% during the 2019-2024 period. Elected members remain lower than Specially Elected MPs. “This percentage is now the lowest in the SADC region. A steady decline in women’s representation in local government to the lowest yet,” the study says. It says this is the first time Botswana has only one-woman assistant minister. 

“Overall, there were more losses than gains in women’s political representation in Botswana in the 2024 elections. Gender Links (GL) Women’s Political Participation manager Mabetha Manteboheleng commented that this outcome “is a stark reminder of just how far we still have to go in achieving gender equality: that the media, which should give ‘voice to the voiceless’, silences women during elections, the most important of all democratic projects.” 

Gender Links explained that it conducted this gender audit of elections under the Enhancing the Inclusion of Women in Political Participation (WPP) in Africa project in Botswana. The Gender Links-led project focussed on three areas of capacity building: training academies, inter-generational dialogue, and mentoring. 

Over 100 women politicians, from five political formations – the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF), Botswana Congress Party (BCP) and UDC member parties, Botswana National Party (BNF) and the Alliance for Progressives (AP) graduated from the academies and 14 contested the elections. One Parliamentary candidate, Helen Pushie Manyeneng won, and five won council seats.2 Three more went on to receive ministers’ nominations, Maina Moruimang in Maun, and youths, Kesego Magapa in Mahalapye and Gorata Phakedi in Mabutsane. 

The two young women in 2023 represented Botswana at the International IDEA funded inter-generational conference in Nairobi, Kenya. After the swearing in, the BNF/ UDC youth activist, Phakedi was elected to seven council committees, gaining greater leadership roles, being elected to the publicity portfolio of the Botswana Association of Local Authorities (BALA) and the Mabutsane Council Gender Commissioner. BALA has worked with Gender Links on mainstreaming gender in the councils, among other programs. In the 2024 national elections, 262 candidates contested the 61 Parliament seats, 28 women. This is an increase from 11 women candidates in 2019. However, the increase in the number of women candidates did not translate into more seats for women. 

The report also highlights a significant gender imbalance in media representation during the election period. A six-week media monitoring project revealed that women constituted a mere 4% of news sources in election coverage. This under-representation in the media further marginalizes women’s voices in political discourse, contributing to the erosion of democratic inclusivity. 

Colleen Lowe Morna, Gender Links Special Advisor, noted, “In over twenty years of gender and media monitoring across Southern Africa, this is the worst outcome we have ever seen.”