US, Botswana Hold Women, Peace and Security Exchange

GABORONE, Botswana - As part of the Southern Accord 2024 exercise, service members from U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa, and the Botswana Defence Force took part in a Women, Peace and Security workshop Aug. 13-14 focused on best practices for integrating women more fully into military service.

Southern Accord is a two-week bilateral training exercise that strengthens security cooperation and interoperability between U.S. and Botswana forces through field training events and academic exchanges at three primary locations: Gaborone, Thebephatshwa and Shoshong.

As it relates to the military, WPS refers to the meaningful participation of women in the armed forces and the integration of a gender perspective in all aspects of military organizations, operations and functions to increase military readiness and effectiveness.

Heading the two-day WPS exchange in Gaborone were Lt. Col. Simana, gender adviser in the BDF's Gender Integration office, and U.S. Army Lt. Col. Teisha Barnes, gender lead for WPS efforts at SETAF-AF.

"Signing the 5-year memorandum of understanding was a big step taken last year," said Simana. "We are working to build capacity. We must incorporate appropriate gender initiatives into local operations so they become part and parcel of our daily activities for both domestic and international operations."

While women have been integrated into the BDF for over 15 years, leaders have recently sought to develop a more inclusive and efficient combat-ready force.

In September, Howard Van Vranken, the U.S. ambassador to Botswana, and leaders from the BDF and the North Carolina National Guard signed the "DoD-BDF Women, Peace, and Security 5-year plan (2024-2029)" focused on sexual harassment and assault response and prevention; organizational reform; and social welfare, which delves into quality of life and health initiatives.

The BDF and North Carolina National Guard have partnered since 2008 as part of the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program.

The BDF further established the Gender Integration office, strategically focusing on cultivating robust gender-inclusive systems, policies, programs and services to be implemented across all ranks, from the headquarters to unit levels.

"Now that we are having more discussions and training, I believe we are moving on the right track to meet this challenge," Simana said.

Barnes has integrated WPS initiatives into three major exercises executed by SETAF-AF in the last year, and she and her team have taken part in more than a dozen military-to-military exchanges with African partners.

She emphasized the BDF exchange was about learning from one another.

"The integration of women into the BDF is fairly new. The U.S. military has been working at it for more than 60 years, and we continue to make institutional improvements based on gender," she said, pointing to recent U.S. Army initiatives to redesign female uniforms and battle gear based on women's body structure.

The workshop included conversations on gender roles; equality versus equity; recruitment, retention and promotions; the WPS framework; and the BDF's strategic plan for gender inclusion.

"The WPS exchange is an opportunity for us to share best practices based on what we've learned in the U.S., but more importantly, to listen to what may work for Botswana based on their unique needs," Barnes said.

Like the United States, the BDF has faced challenges regarding ill-fitted battle gear traditionally made for men, which have contributed to pelvic stress fractures in women.

Other areas of consideration included building separate facilities for women, preventing and responding to sexual harassment and assault, maternal and paternal policies, dress and appearance standards, and ensuring women are included in decision-making positions and processes.

During a BDF-led session, Van Vranken joined the class, saying he was pleased to see the BDF's commitment to the initiatives.

The ambassador is a strong supporter of BDF's leadership in leveraging WPS initiatives to take on gender-based violence issues in Botswana's military and the whole of society. He encouraged those attending to continue their work and pledged to stay engaged.

"This is an important goal but not an easy one," he said. "It is simple to articulate. We need to allow everyone to contribute and to maximize their contributions. But it can be difficult to implement because it requires everyone to do something, and it starts with a mindset change."

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