11 Dec 2023

 The 2023 World Population Review Report has listed Botswana among countries with the highest suicide rates in the SADC region.

The report further states that male suicide rates are four times higher than those of females.

Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development shared the information at the International Men’s Day commemoration in Mokungwane recently

Mr Sethabelo Modukanele said as such the statistics on male suicide in the country indicated the need for urgent action to address the issue.

Mr Modukanele said the theme; Zero Male Suicide, provided an opportunity for national dialogue on the silent epidemic of male suicide, which might results from lack of public awareness, scarcity of explanatory research and the reluctance of men to seek help for suicide-related concerns.

He said there was need to create a safe environment, essential for nurturing, growing and developing stable, healthy and caring men.

“The theme also prompts us to develop initiatives to improve Botswana’s national response to mental health issues in general,” said Mr Modukanele further stating that it called for the improvement of men’s access to essential tools needed to access real life options, empower and strengthen them as well as their families and communities.

He said Mokungwane was one of the villages that prided itself with the principle of self-reliance and stakeholder collaboration.

The event was self-funded by Mokungwane men who contributed funds while the Department of Gender Affairs Contributed snacks, a clear testimony, according to Mr Modukanele, of stakeholder collaboration towards ending negative gender issues.

He said he was happy to be a witness to the community-driven commemoration of International Men’s Day.

Mr Modukanele said through the gathering, it was expected that Mokungwane would have healthy families and men who contributed positively to the total development of their village.

He said Botswana as a member state of the United Nations, was expected to celebrate and commemorate international gender days such as International Men’s day. 

International Men’s Day is a day set aside to focus on men’s health, improve gender relations, highlight male role models and promote positive expressions of masculinity.

It provides an opportunity to recognise men who do not fall into the traditional manifestations of masculinity, celebrate the positive value men bring to the world, their families and communities.

For his part, district AIDS coordinator, Mr Thuso Ernest asked men to stop killing women and also to stop killing themselves when faced with challenges. 

He said they should make it a practice to ask for help when they have problems.

Mr Ernest also asked men to test for HIV and accept the results if they turned out positive. ENDS