12 Dec 2019

As the commemoration of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence come to an end, men have been encouraged to stand against the scourge as they are often the main perpetrators.

Speaking during a gender affairs workshop to mark the end of the campaign, a counsellor from Crown of Grace International Ministries, Ms Boitumelo Chuchu said good men and boys needed to stand up and protect women and children.

She explained that since men listened to other men, speaking against gender based violence might bring a difference.

She added that men also needed to use their influence and power to exhibit behavior that did not support violence, abuse and rape.

Ms Chuchu said it was necessary for families of victims to have a say regarding gender based violence to enable victims to have the confidence to stand up for themselves.

She said it was critical to teach the boy child how to love and respect women at a young age so that they grew up behaving well towards women and the girl child.

She called on society to speak about gender based violence so as to devise defence mechanisms.

For his part, the executive director of Matshelo Community Development Association, Mr Oageng Olebetse said change only started when discrimination was eliminated and everyone was treated equally in society.

He said it was necessary for society to stand together and support victims of gender based violence, adding that those victims needed to be empowered to go and report cases.

Furthermore, he said increased advocacy was necessary, particularly on issues of rape.

Mr Olebetse said counselling was the biggest step that one could take in order to be able to accept his or her situation and advocate for change.

 District officer, Mr Patrick Isaac said women and children needed to be heard and protected by the law so that they lived their lives with confidence.

He explained that the time to reflect on whether all the strategies employed against gender based violence yielded any positive results had come.

Violence against women and children required Batswana to stand together as one nation if it was to be defeated, said Mr Isaac.

Consequently, he encouraged everyone to have a responsibility towards issues of violence by reporting it at all times whether at work, home or on the streets. ENDS