MASERU — The Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) women’s wing will on Saturday give awards to outstanding Basotho women in various fields.
The league’s secretary-general, Rethabile Marumo, told the Lesotho Times in an interview on Tuesday that they had decided to honour women who have defied the odds “especially in once male-dominated fields”.
Marumo who is also a member of the African Parliament said the women would be awarded at a dinner dance at the Maseru Sun Cabanas.
“The event’s motive is to celebrate the African Woman’s month by honouring women who have broken barriers and penetrated once male-dominated fields in Lesotho,” said the first ever LCD youth league female president.
Marumo added that the categories to be awarded included business, politics, academics as well as “other special categories”.
Marumo, who was elected into the LCD women’s committee in June, added that the awards would not be limited exclusively to LCD female affiliates. Women from political groups will be honoured.
“The message behind the African Woman’s month is to realise the spirit of oneness regardless of our beliefs. We need to see ourselves simply as Basotho women,” she said.
The event would be a first for the ruling party women’s league and an initiative towards empowering women across the board.
The dress code for the event, Marumo said, ranges from formal, traditional and political party regalia.
The LCD women’s league, Marumo said, expected that Basotho women would not shun the event on the basis “that it’s our brainchild”.
“We want the message to reach all the women regardless of their political affiliation and everybody to feel welcome.
“For instance, a member of the ABC (All Basotho Convention) can even wear their party colours if they want to,” Marumo said.
She said the ABC women’s league president, ‘Mamahele Radebe, was one of the distinguished guest at the event.
“Even if she doesn’t come in person, her party can always delegate someone to attend on her behalf,” Marumo said adding that the dinner gala was not a political event.
“Enticing women to join the LCD is not the major purpose of the occasion. But still, it would not be wrong for those who feel they want to join the LCD and become a part of us to do so,” Marumo said.
President of the Lesotho Workers Party (LWP) women league, Rosa Leneha, said she will “definitely” attend the dinner event.
“This is women’s month and the dinner dance is exclusively in honour of women. There’s no reason why I shouldn’t accept the invitation,” Leneha said.
“There’s a lot that we can learn from each other despite our political affiliation. We’ll be able to interact and come up with solutions to problems we come across on a daily basis as female politicians.”
