04 Dec 2023

The United States Ambassador to Botswana, Mr Howard Van Vranken, has commended Jwaneng Mayor, Ms Olga Ditsie for her role in combating Gender Based Violence (GBV) through her women and children empowerment project.

Ms Ditsie was nominated for the United States International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) funding in 2022, for her project towards combating GBV among women and children in her district.

The project, undertaken through the ‘Let Women Live in Peace’ slogan, entails skills development and community outreach campaigns, among others.

Speaking at the bakery graduation ceremony for 12 women on Thursday, Mr Van Vranken said the US government was committed to supporting initiatives aimed at fighting GBV since it was a global challenge.

To this end, he said, they had partnered with other stakeholders on various platforms geared towards preventing and responding to the issue.

“Here in Botswana, the US government has partnered with the Botswana government, civil society organisations and alumni of the US government exchange programs in many ways to support community outreach activities, education and awareness training and addressing GBV as part of the US government’s Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender Based Violence.
I assure you that this is a top priority for the US Mission and myself, not just during the 16 Days of Activism, but all year round,” he said.

He said complex as it was, GBV required people to stand up and open the difficult dialogues that could lead to solutions. He underscored the need to also advocate for behavioural change in boys and men, as a mind-set change approach.

Ms Ditsie noted that GBV was a national concern, especially for women and children, and Jwaneng had not been spared. She said through the project, she collaborated with various stakeholders to mainly empower women for income generating projects, to reduce their dependence on their partners. In addition to community awareness campaigns, the project also trained GBV champions in schools, as well as creating psychosocial support for survivors.

She underscored the need for everybody to play a role and being agents of change towards combating GBV.

“GBV statistics in our country are so high, and sometimes it may seem like this is a mammoth task to address, but I believe we all agree that we are here because we care and we want to fight this monster in our country,” she said. “It is upon people like you who are here today not only to be attending, but you are here to be agents of change.”

She said part of the implementation strategies towards fighting GBV was putting faces to the statistics to show the actual impact of the issue on the communities.

Jwaneng District Gender Committee Patron, Ms Kedibone Koolatotse, applauded the mayor and her strategic partners for empowering women with business skills that would go a long way in improving the economic situation in their households.

“Educating and empowering a woman equates to saving a nation,” she said.

She urged graduates to use acquired skills to eke a living for their families. She implored them to intensively market their small businesses for them to be profitable and sustainable. Ends