By Moses Magadza in Johannesburg, South Africa

The Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Botswana, Hon. Helen Pushy Manyeneng, has been elected unopposed as Chairperson of the Gender Equality, Women Advancement and Youth Development (GEWAYD) Standing Committee of the SADC Parliamentary Forum for the period 2026 – 2028.

Her election took place during the Joint Session of Standing Committees of the SADC Parliamentary Forum being held in Johannesburg, South Africa, where the regional parliamentary body met under the theme of enhancing parliamentary advocacy for the effective domestication and implementation of SADC protocols for democratic and inclusive governance.

In her acceptance remarks, Hon. Manyeneng pledged to provide purposeful and consultative leadership to the committee over the next two years while championing stronger regional measures to advance women and youth participation in politics and decision-making.

Hon. Manyeneng, who represents the Mmopane-Metsimotlhabe constituency in Botswana, said her elevation to the Deputy Speakership in September 2024 came at a historic moment when Botswana experienced a change of government after 58 years of one-party rule.

She attributed her rise to leadership positions to her experience in both the health and political sectors and highlighted her extensive parliamentary work, including her role as Chairperson of the Parliamentary Caucus on Women in Botswana.

She said she had consistently advocated for legislation and policies that promote adequate representation of women in elective and decision-making positions.

“I have been an advocator on education of the public especially women, girls and the youths on all laws, policies and programmes affecting them,” she said.

The newly elected GEWAYD Chairperson stressed that empowering women economically and politically was critical in reducing gender-based violence and improving the welfare of women and girls across the region.

She urged SADC member states to continually assess laws and policies affecting women and youth and to remove provisions that discriminate against or disadvantage them.

Hon. Manyeneng expressed concern over the low representation of women in Botswana’s National Assembly following the 2024 general elections.

She noted that only six women sit in the 67-member Parliament, representing just 8.9 percent of MPs, with only three directly elected and the remainder specially elected.

“This lack of women representation has not been a pain for Botswana only but to the rest of the SADC region,” she said.

She pledged to champion model laws and policy frameworks aimed at empowering women and youths politically and economically across Southern Africa.

Among her priorities, she said, would be advocating for electoral reforms that create quota systems for women at local and national levels to improve representation.

Hon. Manyeneng also raised alarm over the growing threat of digital violence targeting women and young people, describing it as “gender-based violence in a new space.”

“This is a scar on any society that must be confronted head on and eradicated,” she said.

To combat the challenge, she called for stronger partnerships between parliaments, civil society organisations and law enforcement agencies to improve online safety, monitoring and accountability.

She further emphasised the importance of equipping women and youths with digital literacy and cyber-safety skills to enable them to participate confidently and safely in online spaces.

“As the Chairperson of GEWAYD, I will seek to drive partnerships with civil society and law enforcement agencies to improve online safety, monitoring and accountability,” she said.

Hon. Manyeneng promised to lead the committee “with profound intention and drive” and committed herself to regular consultation with committee members to ensure effective performance and impactful regional programmes.

The GEWAYD Standing Committee is one of the key committees of the SADC Parliamentary Forum and focuses on advancing gender equality, women’s empowerment and youth development across the SADC region through parliamentary action, policy advocacy and legislative reforms.

-Moses Magadza is the Media and Communications Manager at the SADC Parliamentary Forum.