Women in Botswana Now Have the Right To Inherit

Judge Key Dingake of the Botswana High Court recently ruled that women are entitled to equal inheritance rights with men.  This landmark ruling paves the way for challenging the other unfair laws in the region that favor men. The judge reasoned that  it is time for the law to reflect modern times and for justices to assist in ridding the modern-day society of discrimination against gender.  

Human rights campaigners said that this ruling would prompt challenges to other customary laws that similarly discriminate against women.  Botswana is an example for the region and has produced some of Africa’s most celebrated women.  However, it still has a dual legal system that many people have been reluctant to tamper with.

See Women Granted Inheritance Rights, The Sydney Morning Herald, Oct. 14, 2012.  

Special thanks to Brian Cohan (Attorney at Law, Law Offices of Brian J. Cohan, P.C.) for bringing this article to my attention.