On March 8th, the world will celebrate International Women’s Day, a day committed to appreciating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. International Women’s Day (IWD) has been observed since in the early 1900’s – a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialised world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies.
With more women in the boardroom, greater equality in legislative rights, and an increased critical mass of women’s visibility as impressive role models in every aspect of life, one could think that women have gained true equality. However, great improvements have been made as more and more women are seen tackling the business industry here in our country.
With that in mind, the French Embassy has once again partnered with Orange Botswana to host and celebrate the women of Botswana on March 8th. This partnership with the French Embassy is just one way that Orange supports and empowers local women.
“Our commitment to empowering local women entrepreneurs is one that we take seriously. When we announced Thato Mahube as last year’s winner for the 2015 Corporate Gifts Challenge, we promised to go beyond just purchasing from her, but creating and availing platforms for her company to showcase and promote themselves at Orange sponsored events. The International Women’s Day celebration is just one of those platforms that we will offer to them,” says Orange PR and Foundation Manager, Boga Chilinde-Masebu.
During this event, Orange Botswana will have stalls showcasing and promoting products and services from 100% owned Batswana women companies. These will include Amazing Services, the winner of the Orange Foundation 2015 Corporate Gifts challenge and some of the top 10 candidates who participated in the Challenge.
Mahube expressed excitement to be working with Orange Botswana, emphasising that they are looking forward to interacting with the business community as well, foreseeing an opportunity to promoting her business at this event.
“The support from Orange Botswana is greatly appreciated, especially as the company does its best to not only purchase from them but also avail opportunities for them to increase their footprint through exhibitions such as the Women’s Day celebrations,” expressed Mahube, adding that they hope this year will open up doors to more partnerships and business opportunities with different entities.
According to the media release, each year, the celebrations are held at the French Ambassadors’ residence in Botswana and are attended by various dignitaries and business entities, providing the perfect opportunity for business interaction for the women.