Parliament of Botswana 
PARLIAMENT OF BOTSWANA IS CURRENTLY HOSTING MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT FROM THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF KENYA
Parliament of Botswana is currently hosting Members of the Committee on Powers and Privileges from the National Assembly of Kenya. The Committee will be on a study tour from the 07th to the 11th May 2019. The Committee Members paid courtesy calls on the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Gladys K. T. Kokorwe and on the Chairman of Ntlo ya Dikgosi, Kgosi Puso Gaborone. The visiting Committee also met with the Committee on Members Rights and Privileges chaired by Hon. Haskins Nkaigwa.
PARLIAMENT OF BOTSWANA HOSTED MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF SEYCHELLES
Parliament of Botswana hosted Members of the Committee on Promises, Undertakings and Assurances from the National Assembly of Seychelles. The Committee was on a benchmarking exercise from the 24th to the 27th April 2019. The Members paid a courtesy call on the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Gladys K. T. Kokorwe.Members also paid a courtesy call on the Gaborone City Council Acting Mayor, Hon. Sesupo Jacobs and the Acting Deputy Mayor, Hon. Kagiso Ntime. The Members of the National Assembly of Seychelles had an opportunity to interact with the Members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence, Justice and Security, and
the Committee on Health, HIV & AIDS from Parliament of Botswana. They also viisted Mochudi West Constituency for Hon. Gilbert Mangole to learn and see how the Constituency office functions.
MEMBERS OF MOZAMBIQUE PARLIAMENT VISITED PARLIAMENT OF BOTSWANA
Parliament of Botswana hosted Members of the Committee on Public Administration and Local Government from Mozambique Parliament. The Committee was on a bench-marking exercise from the 29th April to the 04th May 2019. The Committee Members paid a courtesy call on the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Gladys K. T. Kokorwe. Hon. Kokorwe noted that visit will serve to strengthen the already existing relations & cooperation between the peoples of Botswana and Mozambique. "Your visit to Botswana comes in the aftermath of the cyclone Idai, which has caused devastation to may parts of Mozambique. On behalf of Botswana Parliament, I wish to convey our heartfelt condolences to the families who lost their loved ones and the peoples of Mozambique. There has also been the threat of cyclone Kenneth which we hope will not cause the same damage as was caused by cyclone Idai," she said.
The Committee Members had an opportunity to be briefed on the following;The Legislative process & Legislative initiative of the MPs, The oversight process over Government, Decentralization model Codifying Electoral Legislation and also meet the Members of Parliament of Botswana Portfolio Committee on Local Governance & Social Welfare.
KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY THE SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AT SADC WOMEN FORUM & EXCELLENCE AWARDS
The Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Gladys K. T. Kokorwe gave a keynote address at the SADC Women Forum & Excellence Awards at Masa Square Hotel in Gaborone.
The topic for the day was - Taking women's leadership to another level in Africa: a different perspective
"Imagine a world where women and men were contributing freely and fairly in all spheres of leadership. A world where the is no leadership gap arising from any type of gender inequality"
We surely live in a better world where women and men genuinely respect each other. Where women and men can harmoniously allow each other to do that which they do best; and let each other lead-just as human beings and not as women and men, in areas where each is most capable? I truly think that as human and higher beings than all other creatures we are intelligent enough to make life easier, better and enjoyable for all of us.
Therefore, today's topic is a worthy subject that i believe is long overdue. The idea of alternative ways of advancing the rather stagnant progress in women's leadership should have dominated national and international discussion fora from long back.
I therefore congratulate you all for coming from around the SADC region and abroad to address this important subject. I especially congratulate the Consortium of Leadership and Gender Experts (CLGE) for persistently making effort to focus attention on issues of women's leadership and also salute the Centre for Economic and Leadership Development (CELD) from the United Kingdom which has joined hands with sisters and brothers in our part of the world to tackle leadership parity issues.
Everyone should have leadership access to economic participation and opportunities; educational attainment; health and survival; and political empowerment. This means that, we want more women in Africa, particularly in SADC to become Presidents, Ministers, Speakers of Parliament like I am, Doctors and so on. The WEF reported that currently, out of the 149 states that it assessed in 2018, only 17 women are heads of states while only 18% participate as ministers and 24% are parliamentarians. Translating to less than 70% of women input missing from state governance matters.
Involvement in leadership is not only about status or money. But it is about contributing to the society and creating a legacy by shaping society in the way that you also want to see it like. So, women should not be judged on the basis of gender but on their capabilities and what they can contribute to society.
