02 Sep 2015

Senior gender officer in Francistown, Ms Poloko Sethono says defilement and rape among the youth, adolescents and females are common in Botswana.

Speaking during an initiative meeting by Tonota police and the Gender Affairs Department to educate the public recently, Ms Sethono pleaded with women and parents to stop withdrawal of such cases as it makes their job to fight the offences difficult.

She also said some parents use such cases as an opportunity to make money, adding that every day, someone was being raped in the world.

She advised parents to take responsibility as such offences may affect their children psychologically in many ways such as low self-esteem, feelings of insecurity, self hatred, social rejection, anger, disbelief as well as suicidal thoughts.

Ms Sethono said victims of such assaults need counselling and advised victims not to bath or change clothes after such incidents. She said some parents encourage their children to get involved with older man so that the man could support the family financially.

She explained that cultural beliefs lead young people to get married to older man. She said some people defile because they believe that having sexual intercourse with a virgin could cure AIDS.

 “Abuse still exists in our families and the only way to solve this is through communication,” said Ms Sethono.

 The senior gender officer in Kasane, Ms Onneile Monna said their office has a budget of P250 000 to help any group of five people who are unemployed, are registered and have a place to operate and are above 35 years. She said the money is a grant as it is an initiative to uplift women, saying the groups should consist of more women than men.

 Ms Monna explained that the initiative has funded projects such as Areyeng Basadi Bakery in Tonota. Ends