“Proudly Being Young” – Beauty Queen, Lawyer and Botswana's Youngest Cabinet Minister

Lesego Chombo's passion for life is just as impressive as her accomplishments: She won Botswana Miss 2022, Miss Africa World 2024 Crowns, a working lawyer, has established her own charitable foundation – and became history in November and became Botswana's smallest cabinet minister.

She was only 26 at the time – apparently impressed Botswana's incoming president Duma Boko, whose Umbrella of Democratic Change (UDC) had just won the landslide and expelled the party that had ruled for 58 years.

It was a seismic shift in politics in diamond-rich southern African countries – 55-year-old Harvard training lawyer Boko ran.

His main focus, he said, is to solve an economy that is too dependent on diamonds, and told the BBC before the inauguration that he wanted young people to be solutions – “become an entrepreneur, hire yourself and hire others”.

The key to doing this is to find the right ambassador – obviously: a young woman who has been committed to various reasons.

He became her youth and gender minister.

She told the BBC at the headquarters of the capital Gaborone.

“I am a young man living in Botswana, passionate about youth development, gender equality, but also passionate about the growth of children.”

The Pageant Queen has no movement to become a member of Congress – she is the so-called member of Congress – now one of only six female members of the National Assembly, which is composed of 69 members.

Jobo said it was a surprise for her to become a member of Congress and then the minister was.

“I got a presidential appointment that I've never seen before,” she said.

“Miss World and I think the journey I should pursue is my ultimate destination just a platform where I can see this character.”

Her becoming Miss Botswana champion in 2022 has improved her profile and enabled her to run for social change while trying to inspire other young women.

It also provides her with the opportunity to establish the Lesego Chombo Foundation, which is dedicated to supporting vulnerable young people and their parents in rural areas, and she remains involved, a project funded by corporate companies and other regions.

“We strive to have a world where we feel seen and represented. I'm excited, I happen to be the essence of that representation,” she said.

When she was preparing for the Miss World pageant last year, she said: “I really put myself in the service area. I really made it for this Grand Crown.”

Now in the Political Office, she realizes what she expects in a country with about 60% of her population less than 35 years.

It also has a high level of unemployment – 28%, which is even higher for young people with limited economic opportunities and young people and women fighting systemic corruption.

Jobo said this was something she was determined to change: “The unemployment rate is so high in Botswana at the moment.

“But it’s not just the unemployment rate, but it’s just the field of youth development.

“It’s lacking, so my desire is to create an ecosystem, environment, society, an economy where young people can thrive.”

Qiao Bo said her plan was to develop a comprehensive system that cultivates youth-led initiatives, strengthens entrepreneurship and ensures that young people sit at the table when making decisions.

As Botswana's anti-corruption policy is under rigorously scrutinized, she said it will ensure quotas for young entrepreneurs – in fact when state departments and agencies release bids for goods and services.

The government has begun a 10-month forensic audit of government spending, which will include 30 state-owned enterprises.

Indeed, President Boko intends to fight corruption as a way to boost investor confidence and diversify the economy – his representative has been seeking recent trips to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Switzerland.

A key agreement has now been identified with UAE-based CCI Global, a provider of business process outsourcing, to open a hub in Botswana.

Although youth development is the central pillar of her work, gender equality is still close to her heart.

Her short time in the office coincides with an outcry against gender-based violence.

According to a report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), more than 67% of women in Botswana suffer from abuse, more than double the global average.

“Knowing this might be my pain next,” she admitted.

A month after her appointment, she voted in parliament for opposition motions to establish a “peace table” in the police station and district courts to quickly deal with the victims.

At that time, she said that such provisions already exist in the law and what is needed is more public awareness.

After that, a police report in January pointed out that at least 100 women were raped and another 10 were murdered during the holidays – which has caused public outrage, with many slamming her on social media.

The Minister reiterated – many times, including before the parliament in March – Botswana has many laws and strategies, and it is important to ensure that these laws and strategies are ensured to be used in practice.

But she told the BBC government that would push for a gender-based violence bill to end legal loopholes that long-standing hindering justice for survivors.

She said she also advocates a more holistic approach involving the Ministry of Health, Education and Local Government.

“We want a course that can promote gender equality from an early age,” Jobo said.

“We want to teach children what gender-based violence is and how to prevent it.

“It will boil down to including teaching gender equality at home, how parents behave around their children, how they imitate good behavior.”

She also encourages chiefs to “make sure our patriarchal culture does not actively perpetuate gender violence” in the need to address problems that affect men, especially in mental health and positive masculinity.

“I heard a lot of people say, ‘Why do you talk more women than men?’

“This is because in society, women are mostly prejudiced [against].

“But when we talk about gender equality, we say it should apply equally to everyone. But what we are striving for is gender equality.”

Jobo, who studies law at the University of Botswana, said she thanked her mother and other strong women for inspiring her – saying women must “work 10 times” to succeed.

“[My mother] Trying to create a thriving environment for me. And when I grow up, I have to realize that this is not an easy task.

“As women, we face a lot of pressure: 'Women can't do this. A woman can't do that. A woman can't do that. A woman can't be young and lead.” I'm currently facing it. ”

She also praised Miss World CEO Julia Morley for helping her: “She managed to create what we call beautiful legacy, the purpose of many young girls in the world.

“She just deeply inspired our social responsibility.”

Chombo is serious about this. Beauty Queen-um-lawyer-cum-Minister knows she has made history-but also knows that her real work is just beginning.

“Impact. Real impact. That's my success,” she said.

“I want to look back and see that it's there and it's sustainable. When I leave, other people can do it through it.”

Other reports of innocent Selatlhwa in Gaborone

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