Botswana’s former President Ian Khama has joined the rest of the world in celebrating International Women’s day today.
Writing on facebook, Khama honoured one of the harding working woman ib Botswana, Gaositwe Keagakwa Tibe Chiepe.
“Gaositwe Keagakwa Tibe Chiepe, You deserve great applause-Happy International Women’s Day!
#DrGaositweChiepe #BreakTheBias #InternationalWomensDay #ThariYaSechaba”
Goasitwe was born in Serowe in 1922 as the daughter of Tibe Chiepe, a London Missionary School teacher of Bakalanga origin.
She began her education at Khama Memorial School, before attending Tiger Kloof in 1939 on a government bursary. There she became the school’s top student and head prefect.
In 1944 she went on to enrol at Fort Hare College, where she was the first Protectorate woman to obtain a university degree, in 1947, and subsequently the first to be awarded a higher, Master of Arts, degree in 1959.
From 1948 to 1970 she played an important role in educational administration, serving as education officer at Serowe in the mid-1950s. In 1970 she was appointed High Commissioner to Great Britain, then also serving as Botswana’s ambassador to Germany, France, Denmark, Norway and the European Community (EU), as well as Nigeria.
