22 Nov 2018

Minister of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs, Ms Dorcas Makgato has challenged men to stand up and be agents of change and positive role models to young ones.

Officiating at the commemoration of International Men’s Day in Ghanzi, Ms Makgato called upon men to take personal responsibility by speaking against and condemning all forms of violence on women and children for Botswana to realise her transformation journey on gender equality.

She said although International Men’s Day was meant to celebrate the positive roles and achievements by men on social justice that permeates all levels of the society right to the family level, it was equally important to expose and interrogate all issues of concern and come up with clear and concise models of intervention.

Ms Makgato told her listeners that before March 2019, her ministry would have held a national dialogue to establish a strategy that would have a consistent message on all issues concerning her ministry.

“Of late we have heard how men have been killing women brutally and as a nation, we do not condone this kind of behaviour”, she stated and cited an incident where a woman was decapitated and her head was never recovered.

She cited one Trinidad and Tobago philosopher, Dr Jerome Teelucksingh, who once said 'International Men’s Day has the potential to become the global medium to heal our world.'

The concept and themes of the International Men’s Day are designed to give hope to the depressed, faith to the lonely, comfort to the broken-hearted, transcend barriers, eliminate stereotypes and create a more caring society.”

Ms Makgato viewed that ‘if social justice is about distribution of opportunities, privileges and wealth within the society, then we cannot talk about social justice in a space of glaring inequities; we cannot talk about social justice where there is utmost disrespect of human rights and rampant levels of gender-based violence, even within the family unit.

She said as 55 per cent of Botswana’s families were female-headed, boys in such families are denied fartherhood mentorship and role modelling.  

The Minister regretted that though the inclusion of father’s name in all children’s ‘birth certificates was a positive move, sometimes it was used wrongly and contributed to emotional violence and abuse by either partner.

Ms Makgato reminded the attendants that next Sunday would be the launch of 16 days of activism of violence against women in Gaborone at GSS grounds, hence invited all to take part.

National Men’s Sector coordinator, Mr Nonofo Leteane stated that males were diverse and were overwhelmed by different challenges, as such they need target specific interventions, which should be informed by evidence.

Mr Leteane cautioned that gender-based challenges should be given more attention as they could lead to dysfunctional families.

He attributed the erosion of moral fibre of a boy child to the male role models deficit and alluded that 55 per cent of families in Botswana were female-headed.

In his vote of thanks, Member of Parliament for Ghanzi north, Mr Noah Salakae said in most instance males were perpetrators of social ills, therefore they were the ones who could cure such ills. ENDS