01 Mar 2023

Supporting and according Bahumagadi the respect they deserve will assist them to play a meaningful role in the fight against Gender Based Violence (GBV) and building the society.

This was said by deputy private secretary to the Vice President, Mr Kagiso Habangana at the Bahumagadi Committee official launch and workshop held in Rakops recently.

“Bahumagadi should be accorded the respect they deserve and should be recognised as important members of society. They should be accorded support to enable them to deliver on their roles in the society such as fighting GBV and contributing towards building the society,” Mr Habangana said.

He told participants that between 2021 and 2022, GBV cases rose from 60 to 77 per cent while 14 cases had been recorded since the beginning of this year.

He added that government had introduced various programmes aimed at uprooting GBV, among them the establishment of a ministers committee on GBV and that of courts specialising on such cases.

Mr Habangana gifted the Bahumagadi Committee with P1 000.

National Men Sector coordinator at the National AIDS and Health Promotion Agency (NAHPA), Mr Nonofo Leteane said research had shown that the scourge exacerbated the spread of HIV/AIDS and according to a study conducted in 2012, 67 per cent of people reported having experienced GBV.

Mr Leteane added that a study also conducted in 2018 indicated that 37 per cent of women experienced abuse and 44 per cent of men admitted that they were perpetrators of GBV, while 21 per cent of men reported to have been victims.

“Most of women exposed to GBV were in many cases due to intimate partner violence. It was very crucial to address toxic masculinity and young boys should be taught house chores from a tender age because there were no jobs that are specifically designed for women and girls,” he said.

For her part, Dr Nametsegang Seretse from Boteti District Health Management Team (DHMT) said most of GBV cases were not reported and some were discovered at a late stage.

Dr Seretse said GBV caused depression and affected women’s mental health.

“We have recorded cases that included bodily harm and therefore we urge women to report cases, particularly those of abuse physical abuse,” she said.

She reiterated that it was crucial to ensure that the boy child was not left behind when raising children.

On one hand, Letlhakane police station commander, Superintendent Michael Maphephu said Bahumagadi had the role to provide guidance to their partners who were leaders of the society.

“Bahumagadi are duty bound to ensure that the society’s wellbeing was in good state,” Supt. Maphephu said.

He also reminded Bahumagadi of their responsibility to ensure that cases of abuse discovered through their campaigns were reported.

Supt. Maphephu also noted that they had a Gender and Child protection centre at Letlhakane police station where issues of abuse could be addressed away from the partners.

In her comment, Nicodemus Primary School deputy head, Ms Thato Mosotho expressed concern about the pupils’ unsatisfactory academic results which she attributed to rife GBV cases found amongst families.

Meanwhile, Lucara acting general manager, Mr Lucas Ntsipe pledged to support Bahumagadi in their role of uprooting GBV, hence their decision to divert funds usually released for independence activities to Bahumagadi undertakings.

Bahumagadi Committee chairperson, Ms Pontsho Tatolo said the Bahumagadi initiative, a brainchild of the First Lady, Ms Neo Masisi, had earned them a lot of recognition from members of the society.

Ms Tatolo added that the initiative had also empowered them to know their role as well as make significant impact on the society. ends