In precolonial times, women had a very limited public role in Tswana politics, despite a few notable exceptions. Under the colonial government, the role of royal women increased and female regents became less uncommon. In GammaNgwato, the death of Sekgoma II was followed by a power struggle in which royal women including Baboni, Oratde, and MmaKhama were leading opponents of the young regent Tshekedi Khama. The colonial government backed Tshekedi. These struggles were essentially personal, but later in the colonial period greater political participation by ordinary women developed.
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