Woman Botswana
Working for Women, Worldwide: The U.S. Commitment
Upon hearing that she was HIV positive, Alzira's first thought was for her baby: Could she prevent the transmission of HIV to her child? Nurse Vaz explained that to reduce the chance of transmitting HIV to a child, an HIV-positive woman should come to the maternity ward upon the onset of labor and take nevirapine, a drug used in HIV treatment. The baby also should receive one dose of nevirapine within 72 hours of birth. Alzira was happy to enter this program to improve the health of her baby. Nurse Vaz also referred Alzira to the Day Hospital at the Beira Central Hospital, which provides care and treatment for HIV-positive persons. ... [Read More]
Botswana
There were 7 women in the 61-seat National Assembly, 5 women in the 19-seat Cabinet, and 3 female justices in the 13-seat High Court. In 2003, the first woman in the country's history was elected chairperson of the House of Chiefs, and another woman became regent of the Batawana tribe. ... Women legally enjoyed the same civil rights as men; however, in practice, societal discrimination persisted. A number of traditional laws enforced by tribal structures and customary courts restricted women's property rights and economic opportunities. A woman married under traditional law or in "common property" was held to be a legal minor and required her husband's consent to buy or sell property, apply for credit, and enter into legally binding contracts. Under the law, women married under an intermediate system, referred to as "in community of property", were permitted to own immovable property in their own names. Moreover, the law also stipulates that neither spouse can dispose of joint property without the written consent of the other party. Women increasingly exercised the right to marriage "out of common property", in which case they retained their full legal rights as adults. Discrimination against women was most acute in rural areas, where women engaged primarily in subsisten ... [Read More]
Botswana: Memories
There were acres of farm land to my right and tall, modern buildings to my left. This was an odd world, I mused--a country pushing to become a developed nation yet so dependent on outdated and unsafe ideas. This culture was happy on the outside but one heard tales of elderly men telling soon-to-be married boys that one must take the belt to his wife to "make sure she knows who's boss" and of elderly women telling soon- to-be married women that when, not if, she comes home to her husband in bed with another woman she should go to the home of a relative or friend. From there she should proceed to call him and inform him that she was coming home so he could finish his "business." Unprotected sex was not considered a danger here. STDs and AIDS flowed causing this already village-like 1.5 million-person population to actually begin to decrease. Life here was simple, impulses given in to, and smiles aplenty. But along with these basic ideals came a modern country, its peoples flustered ... [Read More]
Botswana
The Prisons Act grants relatives, lawyers, magistrates, and church organizations the right to visit prisoners for "rehabilitative purposes;" however, the Commissioner of Prisons has the authority to decide whether domestic and international human rights organizations may visit. Independent monitoring of prison conditions by human rights groups, the media, or the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) generally was allowed if these organizations sought permission from the Commissioner of Prisons; however, sometimes permission was denied. The BCHR was denied access to visit Lehlohonolo Bernard Kobedi, a Lesotho national sentenced to death for the murder of a police officer, following the organization's criticism of the executions of four convicted murderers (see Section 1.a.). The ICRC visited some prisons in September. d. Arbitrary Arrest, Detention, or Exile The Constitution prohibits arbitrary arrest and ... [Read More]
Department of State Washington File: Text: Population Reference Bureau Projects 21st Century Trends
-- The United States is the only industrialized country where the birth rate reaches a "replacement level" of 2.1 children per woman. ... -- The United States is now the only industrialized country in the world with a fertility rate at or above the "replacement level" of 2.1 children per woman. ... [Read More]
Frequently Asked Historical Questions
Who was the first woman to head one of the regional bureaus? ... Who was the first woman Foreign Service Officer to become an Ambassador? ... Who was the first African-American woman to become an Ambassador? ... [Read More]
Department of State Washington File: Text: Global Population Estimates Reduced Because of HIV/AIDS
The past 50 years witnessed a remarkable reduction of fertility levels in the less developed regions, with total fertility falling from six to three children per woman. Over the next 50 years, fertility in less developed regions is expected to reach replacement level in 2030-2035 and fall below it thereafter. However, average fertility in the less developed regions as a whole is still expected to be slightly above two children per woman in 2045-2050, mainly because of the increasing heterogeneity of population dynamics among developing countries. Thus, the 49 least developed countries are expected to have a total fertility of 2.5 children per woman in 2045-2050, well above replacement level. That is, the 2002 Revision foresees that by mid-century there will still be a significant number of countries where the transition to very low fertility will not be completed. ... [Read More]
US Dept of State - U.S. Health Secretary Sees Global Progress Against AIDS Epidemic
You don't have to share a man's faith to help save his life. You don't have to speak a woman's language to cure her illnesses. You don't have to understand a town's culture to bring it fresh water. But you do have to understand your place in the world and your responsibility to love your neighbors, whether they live down the street or across the ocean. ... Many Ugandans with AIDS live in villages so remote only rutted dirt roads reach them. So my Department delivers anti-retroviral medications on the Suzuki motorcycles I mentioned. I went along on one delivery and met a woman named Rosemary. ... [Read More]
Annual Report on Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission of the HIV Infection
Access to male partners and community support—PMTCT programs must not be seen as only a woman’s issue.Human Capacity Development ... Meet Semi-Lou Bertine – a beautiful young HIV-positive Muslim woman who discovered her HIV-status at the U.S. Government-supported Koumassi clinic in downtown Abidjan. She is also the very loving partner and mother to her husband and HIV-negative child. ... [Read More]
Department of State Washington File: Text: U.N. Press Release on New Global Population Projections
(1) Replacement-level fertility is the level necessary to ensure that the population replaces itself over the long run. For most populations, replacement is ensured with a fertility of 2.1 children per woman. ... [Read More]
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