In honour of women’s history we uplift and highlight the amazing efforts of women across the diaspora. as we approach the one year anniversary of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, women in leadership positions all around the world have played, and continue to play, significant roles in helping their communities get through the pandemic. The New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern may be the most popular example as her leadership has helped her country eradicate COVID-19 in record time while the rest of the developed world is still grappling with the effects of the pandemic.
In Botswana, COVID-19 cases are rising, and women from the health sector to social development, are doing their part to assist the country in navigating through the pandemic. Here are a few of the women making a significant impact in Botswana:
- Dr. Tendani Gaolathe is the director of Botswana-based operations for the Botswana-Rutgers Partnership for Health. She is a lead investigator for the partnership’s research and capacity-building initiatives related to cancer care and prevention, COVID-19, and health care training in Botswana.
- Gogontlejang Phaladi is the founder and executive director of a non-profit organization called the Gogontlejang Phaladi Pillar of Hope Project which cares for orphans and vulnerable children affected and infected with HIV in Botswana. She is currently a Board Member of the Global Partnership for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health, National Children’s Council, and a member of the National Vision 2036 Council.
- Lillian Moremi is the founder of Botswana Student Network and is currently a Learning and Development consultant at Career Coaching (Pty) Ltd, a social enterprise she founded in 2013 to promote skills development and productivity in the workplace. MS, Moremi assists the youth in securing employment opportunities in-spite of reduced economic activity resulting from COVID-19.
- Thato Angela Chuma is a creative entrepreneur, musician, writer, curator, and developmental activist. She is the founder and partner of the social enterprise and advocacy enterprise “TheLocalSliceBW.” Created in 2018, the company seeks to nurture a vibrant entrepreneurial culture in Botswana by fostering the positioning of local products, services, and innovations at the forefront in our industries.
- Dr. Tlamelo Setshwaelo is part of the COVID-19 Rapid Response Medical Team at Sir Ketumile Masire Teaching Hospital. She and her team of specialist physicians, fellow medical officers, nurses, healthcare assistants, dieticians, and more, — receive unwell and critical patients from around Botswana who need specialized COVID-19 medical treatment. Their hospital is currently the referral hospital for citizens around the country infected with COVID-19.
Whether in healthcare, innovation, social development, or community mobilization, these women are but a few examples of the multitudes of women leading the charge against the pandemic. The role of women during this pandemic has been crucial adn we appreciate you wherever you may be across the globe. Sistas, may we continue to own our narratives in every space we occupy, both personally and professionally.
Original Publication by: World Bank Blogs
