02 Dec 2020

 Government will continue to do its part by engaging all stakeholders and undertaking legislative and institutional reforms to address Gender-Based Violence (GBV). 

This was said by Minister of Immigration, Nationality and Gender Affairs, who is also the Member of Parliament for Gaborone Bonnington North, Ms Annah Mokgethi when responding to the State-of-the-Nation Address.

Ms Mokgethi said the government was steadfast on institutional reforms including the recent introduction of the Sex Offenders Registry Bill, the establishment of gender and child protection units within Botswana Police Service and the establishment of Special Courts to speed up the hearing of GBV cases.

She said her ministry was working with relevant stakeholders to operationalise the inter-ministerial committee against GBV.

The committee, which was called for by Parliamnet, was described by Ms Mokgethi as a commendable milestone in Botswana’s collective quest to quell the social menace.

“In line with our commitment to continue to raise awareness and combat GBV on 19^th November, I launched the International Men’s Day in Pilikwe under the theme: Promoting a positive conversation about men, manhood and masculinity.” She said it was a clarion call to engage men in all their diversity on their masculinity in an endeavour to bring positive transformative change. 

She noted that Botswana joined the rest of the international community to launch 16 days of activism against violence on women and children. She said there were various dialogue undertaken across the country involving various groups of women and men. 

She said issues discussed in such fora included gender equality, GBV, harmful traditional practices that perpetuated gender inequality and GBV as well as human rights.

Ms Mokgethi said public education and awareness-raising activities would continue during the 16 days and beyond, particularly during the festive season which was usually characterised by an increase in GBV cases.

“It is also vital that during this challenging period when we are not just battling the COVID-19 pandemic but the high prevalence of GBV that we join efforts to protect the most vulnerable population of our society as well as victims and survivors of GBV,” she said.

She said government would continue to ensure that women’s economic empowerment programmes and other empowerment programmes such as the Youth Development Fund, poverty eradication and those in the agricultural sector were reviewed and implemented. 

“The review is intended to improve their coordination and enhance implementation to achieve a valuable return on investment,” she added. 

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