the role of tourism in natural resource management in the okavango ...

carried out in 1985/86 and 1993/94, a major proportion of the poorest sections of
Botswana's society are women. A 1997 Botswana Institute of Development Policy
Analysis Study on Poverty and its alleviation found that female-headed households
are the principal poverty groups. Female-headed households have a significantly
greater burden of dependants, decreased income earning capacity and fewer assets
and other resources (The Wage Gap between Men and Women in Botswana's
Labour Market, 1999). According to Siphambe (1997), female employees in
Botswana's labour market are, on average, more educated than male employees,
yet generally earn significantly less than their male counterparts. Kann et al (1998)
also show that for every level of education obtained, women have lower average
earnings than men.
5.2.4 Land Use
There are three main types of land tenure in Botswana. These include communal
land, freehold land and state land (Table 5.1) (Republic of Botswana Environmental
Statistics, 2000).
5.2.4.1 Communal Land
Communal land, which is also known as tribal land, comprises about 55 percent of
the total national land area (Table 5.1). There are twelve tribal Land Boards in
Botswana who hold all Communal (Tribal) land in trust for the citizens of Botswana
and allocate it to citizens for residential, commercial and agricultural uses. All
Batswana, regardless of sex, are entitled to communal land for their personal use.
On allocation, the holder does not pay for the land, but does not acquire any
exclusive or perpetual rights to it. Nevertheless, in practice, if the land is used for the
allocated purpose, it stays in the family indefinitely, and is used as if exclusive and
perpetual rights have been obtained, with the exception of grazing rights. However,
the owner of a borehole holds de facto rights to the water and surrounding grazing
resources. In addition, 15- and 50-year leases have been introduced for areas of
tribal land which have been zoned for commercial use, such as tourism ventures
(Republic of Botswana Environmental Statistics, 2000).
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