Overview

The Ministry of Youth and Gender Affairs is a government body in Botswana responsible for promoting youth empowerment, gender equality, and women’s advancement. It was formed through the restructuring of earlier ministries that handled youth, gender, sport, and culture portfolios. The ministry provides leadership, policy direction, and coordination for national youth and gender development initiatives.

Mandate and Functions

The ministry’s core responsibilities include:

Youth Empowerment: Promoting youth entrepreneurship, employment, and skills development through various programs and funding initiatives.

Gender Equality: Mainstreaming gender across government policies and programs, addressing gender-based violence, and promoting women’s rights and leadership.

Policy and Coordination: Developing national youth and gender policies, coordinating with other ministries, and ensuring effective program implementation.

Funding Support: Managing schemes such as the Youth Development Fund (YDF) to support youth-led enterprises and startups.

Partnerships: Working with civil society, private sector, and international organizations to promote inclusive social and economic development.

Key Departments

Gender Affairs Department: The central government agency responsible for promoting gender equality and supporting women’s empowerment.

Youth Development Department: Oversees youth programs, including entrepreneurship training, employment creation, and leadership development.

Youth Development Fund (YDF): Provides financial assistance to young citizens (typically aged 18–35) through a mix of grants and loans to start or expand businesses.

Programs and Initiatives

Youth Development Fund (YDF):
Offers funding to promote youth entrepreneurship. It is designed as a 50% grant and 50% loan model, focusing on youth who are unemployed, underemployed, or running small enterprises.

Gender Mainstreaming:
Integrates gender perspectives into government planning, budgeting, and policy-making to ensure equality in opportunities and outcomes.

Anti–Gender-Based Violence Initiatives:
Implements awareness campaigns, legal reforms, and community outreach programs to reduce gender-based violence and promote protection services.

Policy Reforms:
Updates national youth and gender policies to align with modern challenges such as digital inclusion, climate change, and economic diversification.

Leadership

The ministry is led by the Minister of Youth and Gender Affairs, supported by a permanent secretary and other senior officials. Leadership focuses on creating an enabling environment for young people and women to thrive socially and economically.

Budget and Priorities

In recent national budgets, the ministry has received allocations exceeding one billion pula for recurrent expenditures, with additional funds dedicated to development programs. A significant portion supports youth empowerment, women’s initiatives, and institutional capacity-building.

Strategic Focus Areas

Youth entrepreneurship and innovation

Women’s economic empowerment

Gender equality in governance and legislation

Prevention of gender-based violence

Inclusive and sustainable development

Current Challenges

The ministry faces ongoing challenges such as high youth unemployment, limited access to financing for young entrepreneurs, persistent gender inequalities, and cultural barriers to women’s participation in decision-making. However, it continues to emphasize collaboration, reform, and innovation to address these issues.