Confronting Gender Inequality in Botswana Essay

Confronting Gender Inequality in Botswana - Essay Example Many of the government’s Western-influenced programs have addressed, but failed to root out, ancient customs that continue to challenge the country’s attempts to achieve equality. Customary inequality: Gender disparity among married women Botswana’s legal system operates in an awkward and impractical two-track paradigm, with cultural laws and customs existing alongside the nation’s common law. The conflict inherent in this system allows traditional gender inequality to exist in spite of anti-discriminatory laws passed by the government in recent years, written expressly to establish a gender-neutral social system. Botswana’s traditional law remains â€Å"particularly prejudicial to women’s rights, perpetuating unequal power relations between men and women and strengthening stereotypes on (Name) 2 the role of women† (Shadow Report to the CEDAW Committee, BOCONGO, 2009). The Domestic Violence Act was passed in 2008 but unequal power rela tions persist between men and women. This law criminalized acts of violence against women, but the fundamental conflict between tribal/customary and common law has frustrated efforts to legislate equality between the sexes. In Botswana, even today, â€Å"under customary law and common rural practices men are perceived to have the right to ‘chastise’ their wives† (Shadow Report to the CEDAW Committee, BOCONGO, 2009). At present, the law sets 18 as the minimum marriage age. But traditional practice honors no such age limit and considers women of all ages to be minors, extending no individual financial or property rights. Worse, married women who experience physical violence of some form have very few practical rights. A 2009 United Nations report indicated that three of every five women in Botswana have experienced some kind of domestic violence. The minimum punishment for rape is 10 years in prison, but marital rape is not a criminal offense. There is no provision in the law requiring victims to be tested for rape and, as of 2010, there was only one domestic violence shelter in operation (Shadow Report to the CEDAW Committee, 2009). In a 2010 statement to the 45th session of the Convention of the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Botswana Ambassador Boometswe Mokgothu reported that the country recognizes the importance of addressing the problem at its source. To that end, the government has embarked on a â€Å"sensitization† campaign aimed at the guardians of the country’s tribal customs, the Ntlo ya Dikgosi. â€Å"Sensitization of the Dikgosi is very important (Name) 3 to solicit their support, especially that some of the discriminatory and harmful practices that impact negatively on women and development are found in this area† (Mokgothu, 5). Addressing the problem at the tribal level stands out as a remarkably enlightened and progressive tactic aimed at effecting change at the source. It is essentia l that the government continue to establish long-term working partnerships with tribal leaders if true gender equality is to be maintained. Young, pregnant and uneducated: Seeking educational equality for pregnant teens In Botswana, pregnancy is one of the main reasons young women drop out of school.  

Real Estate Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Real Estate Business - Essay Example me scholars gave that the word real property coinage came from a Spanish word real which means a king it puts that all the land belonged to the king and the people using it had to pay taxes to the king for its use either directly or indirectly. Real estate has become one of the biggest aspects in recent times and owing to the ever increasing interests in private property ownership it is known as commercial real estate. The required substantial investment in real estates and the unique nature of each has necessitated the development of key distinct fields in development of its industry (Rees, and Hayward, 2000) some of these are; Valuation and appraisal -services offered by experts in this sector Development -fixing or replacing investments such as buildings on land to increase its utility. Corporate real estate- achieving the goals of a corporation by managing its real estates Property management-controlling and organizing the functions of a real estate for a given party Brokerage- effecting or facilitating real estate business transaction through mediation. Net lease-the tenants of a real estate sharing the property among themselves A business entity can deal with one or more of the above fields in a certain kind of real estate business such as commercial, residential or industrial property. It is clearly evident that almost all businesses in construction relate to real estate (Isaac, 2002). Real estate valuation and appraisal is development of market value opinion of real property in business concept. Different property investments are usually distinctly identical given the fact that even if they are of the same model they can never be in the same location at a time, this situation shows the significance of the need to make appraisals and valuations of real...The author of the research essay "Real Estate Business" begins with short introduction of the subject. He assumes that a real estate that is synonymous to real property or realty is a word used to describe land and or with its developments like buildings or any other development that lay on it. Its aspects are well stipulated in the law of many countries in the world. In law the real property is clearly distinct from personal property. A real property is immobile, that is any investment whose title is only transferable along with the land such as the land itself and any thing that is permanently fixed to it for e xample minerals, buildings trees among others on the other hand personal property is movable with the owner retaining title not necessarily along with the land. Although it is believed to be not true theory some scholars gave that the word real property coinage came from a Spanish word real which means a king it puts that all the land belonged to the king and the people using it had to pay taxes to the king for its use either directly or indirectly. Real estate valuation and appraisal is development of market value opinion of real property in business concept. Different property investments are usually distinctly identical given the fact that even if they are of the same model they can never be in the same location at a time, this situation shows the significance of the need to make appraisals and valuations of real estates to determine their nature as an investment.