ENLIVENING BOTSWANA’S VISION OF INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THROUGH GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVES: SHAM OR REALITY FOR OLDER ADULTS?
ENLIVENING BOTSWANA’S VISION OF INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THROUGH GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVES: SHAM OR REALITY FOR OLDER ADULTS?

Author(s): Rebecca Nthogo Lekoko, Gabatshwane Tsayang
Subject(s): National Economy, Financial Markets, Human Resources in Economy, Business Ethics, Socio-Economic Research
Published by: Sveučilište Josipa Jurja Strossmayera u Osijeku, Ekonomski fakultet u Osijeku
Keywords: economic empowerment; older adults; inclusivity; poverty reduction; Vision 2036;
Summary/Abstract: This chapter reviews economic empowerment opportunities offered by Botswana’s government that align with the current vision of an inclusive economy advocated by the President of the Republic, Eric Keabetswe Masisi. An inclusive economy puts citizen inclusion at the center of economic development in which no one is discriminated against, be it gender, age, ethnicity, or background (Republic of Botswana, Presidential Task Group (1997). This non-discrimination virtue is buttressed in the current Vision 2036, which cogently maps out a pathway for every Motswana to be empowered to participate in the country’s development. This chapter thus reviews this commitment to inclusive economic development in line with the involvement of older adults 55 years and over. It uses existing government economic empowerment opportunities to gauge the participation of older adults. The authors contend that for Vision 2036 to truly serve its inclusive strand, much like youth empowerment, a clear economic empowerment strategy for older persons should be in place. The authors see the absence of an internationally recognized steppingstone, a national policy on aging and older persons, as a significant gap that can lead to a lack of systematic and coordinated systems for older persons’ inclusion. Older people can adapt to economic needs, and those who wish to contribute just like other citizens. Through examples showing evidence of older persons’ productivity, innovation, and interests elsewhere, the chapter suggests how this inclusive economic vision can become a reality for older persons in Botswana.

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