24 Feb 2022

Government remains committed to fighting Gender Based Violence (GBV) hence the introduction of numerous interventions such as the Inter Ministerial Committee and policies and legislation.

Answering a question in Parliament on Tuesday, the Minister of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs, Ms Annah Mokgethi said the Inter Ministerial Committee was formed in December 2020.

It consists of Ministers of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs, Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration, Basic Education and Defence, Justice and Security.

Others are Ministry of Health and Wellness and Local Government and Rural Development, she added.

The Committee is supported by the Permanent Secretaries from the ministries, police, dikgosi, faith based organizations, civil communities, media and academia who provide technical assistance.

She explained that the technical experts held their first meeting on 2nd February 2021 and the Inter Ministerial Committee held theirs on the 8th.

Ms Mokgethi said the experts were trained on gender mainstreaming and GBV management in August 2021 and the Committee received theirs in February 2022.

Following their training, she said, the committee identified key areas that required immediate action, such as public education, resource mobilization, setting up of appropriate structures and strengthening of laws.

The minister further said since the establishment of the Committee, government had also initiated major interventions aimed at mitigating GBV.

These include the adoption of the Criminal Procedures and Evidence Act of 2021, the adoption of the Sexual Registration Act and the establishment of the GBV Special Courts.

Others include the introduction of Mmueledi Wame television program and the establishment of Gender and Child branch by the police aimed at encouraging reporting of GBV cases particularly children.

She said government had long recognized GBV as a national concern and made numerous decisions such as the GBV study of 2012, which established the prevalence of GBV and showed that most perpetrators were men.

A follow up study was undertaken in 2018 and it showed men were also victims of GBV.

Minister Mokgethi said government had committed P2.8 million to be used for GBV interventions and further, it increased funding to shelters during lockdowns to increase their capacity and offer refuge to additional victims.

Mahalapye East MP Mr Yandani Boko had asked the minister to state progress made so far in relation to the Inter Ministerial Committee’s set up to deal with GBV and if it was not advisable for the government to declare GBV as a national crisis. ENDS