17 Jun 2021

Botswana Red Cross Society has collaborated with UNDP to embarked on a project aimed at training community leaders on gender- based violence and COVID-19.  

The joint venture was triggered by the unprecedented increase of gender-based violence cases during the COVID-19 pandemic, which became a global phenomenon, particularly during the extreme lockdown’s early March 2020.

Botswana Red Cross Society’s programme manager, Ms Tshepho Garethata  said the surge in cases resulted in ‘women’s shelters’ in the country becoming overwhelmed with numbers of victims in need of safe spaces. 

Briefing media over Botswana Television recently, she said the project started on July 8, 2020 in Malotwane targeting 600 community leaders in 50 villages.  

The projects activities, she further said, included actions such as development of the Gender Based Violence booklet, training of community leaders, evaluation of training and plan of action for communities.

The objective of the project, she highlighted, was to build community capacities and strengthen their systems on issues related to gender-based violence to promote community ownership, contextualise messages to local communities, culture, practices and language, among others.

The approach will offer a shift from a technocratic approach to a community engagement one to also improve community empowerment and ownership in the gender-based violence response. 

“Of the 45 out of 53 villages, we trained 85 per cent and that translated to 600, from the last report.

Twenty-one more villages were trained, reaching 325 participants.”

Villages still to be reached include Satau, Gulubane, Manxotai, Sepako, Tsetseng, Motokwe, Mabele, Kavimba.” 

Ms Garethata mentioned that key issues raised by the community included increase in incidents of physical abuse at cattle posts, where male farm workers abuse female farm workers after overindulging in alcohol. 

Also, economic abuse where males were usually falling victims of abuse as their female partners feel entitled to their income.   

 

Explaining other roles of the organisation, she said it reaches even the most vulnerable, including children of school- going age.  ENDS