A recent study by Aupracon, a local tax specialist company has found that only 3 out of 24 percent companies listed on the Botswana Stock Exchange Limited (BSEL) are led by women.
This represents 12.5 percent of companies whose Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) are women compared to 87.5 percent which are led by men, 75 percent gap.
The listed entities which are led by women executives are Absa, Lucara and Botswana Insurance Holdings Limited (BIHL).
The study further suggests that male CEO also have an upper hand when it comes to commercial banks, as out of the eight commercial banks in the country, only one is led by a woman CEO.
Furthermore, the survey has also revealed that male CEOs dominate the mining industry, accounting for 75 percent of top posts in the mining industry.
The study further revealed that women led smaller entities, partnerships with their representation standing at 30 percent.
Molwa Tsheko who is a Managing Director of an industrial affairs consultancy firm, Employment Solutions was quoted in the survey saying some cultural believes are hindering women to reach the top of the corporate ladder.
“Many organizations are still dominated by men who have been culturally socialized to believe women are inferior and can therefore not effectively lead,” said Tsheko.
In conclusion, the findings of the survey suggest that the country still has a long way to go in achieving the desired destination as espoused in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 5.
The goal advocates for greater participation of women in economics and states that ending all forms of descrimination against women and girls is not a basic human right, but it is also crucial to accelerating sustainable development.