2011 Summer Research

In a couple of days Mave', Kuno and I will head back to Botswana for a few weeks of research. I have a small project that stems from my 2009 sabbatical research on women MPs, or the lack thereof, in Botswana. At the time I happened to interview Kgosigadi Mosadi Seboko ("a chief called woman"), paramount chief of the Balete, who made me think that her decision to assert her right to become chief, and her people's willingness to go along, was a symbolic representation effect of more women in political positions in Botswana. Thus with this project I would like to 'test' this hypothesis. Further I would like to determine to what extent women chiefs, who have emerged in small numbers since about 2000, substantively represent women's interests. (In the past women in Botswana have served as regents but not as chiefs.) There is a House of Chiefs in Botswana and currently three women sit in the HoC; in about 2005 the HoC was expanded to now include 35 members who become members in different ways: elected, selected and more. I am aware of three other women who have been members in the past decade or so. My goal is to interview all of these women and others who have been or are involved in their election or selection. That will take us to such farflung places as Maun, Ghanzi and Francistown, about which I am very excited. We leave for Gaborone on Thursday, July 28 from Philly traveling via Washington, DC, Dakar and Johannesburg and depart from Gabs on Monday, August 22 for the same return trip. So it will be a very busy and fun few weeks!