Finding the 'missing' male in gender discourses in Botswana

Abstract

Researchers and activists in Botswana have played an active role in the international campaign to alleviate women s subordinate position in economic development. Of late attention has shifted from 'women' to 'gender'. This shift has been premised on the need to provide a more holistic framework that focuses on relations between women and men, rather than on women exclusively. However, there are mounting concerns among academics and development practitioners that the gender debate has reached a stalemate in Botswana. The impasse is manifested in the perception that 'gender' and 'women' are used as synonyms in much gender discourse, research and activism. This paper argues that focusing on women and ostracising men makes the task of mainstreaming (or engendering) research and practice an unobtainable illusion. We propose new dimensions in gender discourses that will provide more balanced perspectives on both women and men.