28 Nov 2018

There is an urgent need to address the root cause of sexual exploitation and abuse of children and to appeal to men to stop abusing young girls, First Lady Neo Masisi has said.

Launching a four-month campaign on prevention of sexual exploitation and child abuse dubbed, #Esengmongwaneng! on November 27, Ms Masisi said there was also need to promote a culture of equality between boys and girls through education, awareness raising and full engagement of males to ensure both parties understood and treated each other with respect.

“We also need to take a long term systematic and comprehensive approach that recognises and protects children’s rights,” she said.
 

The first lady called upon all men and women to make a personal commitment to step out of the sidelines and be part of the solution to end sexual exploitation and abuse of children.

Ms Masisi said the nation had the moral obligation to protect children from sexual exploitation and abuse. “There is need to speak with one voice and advocate for the protection of children, no matter what it takes.

We need to love, nurture and protect these children, ensuring that this protection is both emotional and physical.

This must change and there must be a shift. Today, we must face the reality and tackle the issue head-on.

We now have to be bold enough to amplify the silent voices, the unrecognised tears and the invisible suffering of the soul,” she said.

If not addressed, the effects of sexual exploitation and abuse could remain with children for a life time and could pass from one generation to another, she warned.

Ms Masisi stressed that the right of women and children to live free of violence depended on the protection of their human rights as enshrined in the constitution.

In his remarks, Local Government and Rural Development assistant minister Mr Kgotla Autlwetse challenged all stakeholders to rise and affirm their presence in the wellbeing of both the boy and girl child by exploring innovative ways of addressing sexual exploitation and abuse of children.

Another speaker, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) country representative, Ms Julianna Lindsey said the whole nation of Botswana, led by President Dr

Mokgweetsi Masisi had an obligation to fight sexual exploitation and abuse of children.

Noting that sexual exploitation and abuse of children happened everywhere, she said there was  therefore need to empower girls to resist the advances of predatory men.

She also encouraged people to report perpetrators and to extend the protection and advice on the matter to both the girl and boy child.

Speaking on behalf of children, Children’s Consultative Forum (CCF) chairperson, Lone Tshubang said she was proud that she belonged to a country that valued children and did not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse of children.

She described the #Esengmongwaneng! campaign as an ideal continuation of CCF’s fight against sexual exploitation of children and a window of hope towards achieving a child sexual exploitation free generation. Ends