02 Sep 2025

Government has endorsed Ba Isago University’s newly launched Centre for Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Empowerment (CGBVPE), the first dedicated centre of its kind in Botswana’s higher education sector.

Officially opening the centre on September 1,  Minister of Youth and Gender Affairs, Ms Lesego Chombo, underscored the University’s commitment to tackling one of the nation’s most urgent social challenges, gender-based violence (GBV).

Minister Chombo lauded Ba Isago University for taking the lead through the establishment of the centre, noting that the initiative not only complemented national strategies but also was a benchmark pad for higher education institutions and other stakeholders to emulate.

She described the centre as a bold and timely demonstration of leadership in tackling one of the country’s most pressing social issues.

Ms Chombo urged society to adopt a more proactive stance in the fight against GBV, emphasising that prevention must take priority.

“I think that we are very brilliant at planning and acting after it happens. We know all the right things to do, but it has reached a point where we ought to be prioritising prevention,” said Ms Chombo, calling for collective responsibility to stop violence before it takes root.

She further said GBV was posing not only a social crisis but also a threat to the productivity of the workforce and the economy, as workers could be left carrying trauma.

Ms Chombo also revealed that through her ministry’s Inter-Ministerial Committee on Gender-Based Violence, which included ministries such as Child Welfare and Basic Education, they were developing a curriculum called Think Equal, designed to teach children about equality from an early age.

For his part, Ba Isago University Co-Founder and Managing Director, Mr Odirile Gabasiane stressed the importance of bold and innovative action.

“We decided to create something unique, a centre that would focus specifically and comprehensively on GBV, not as a side issue but as a core mission,” he said.

He highlighted one of the centre’s pioneering initiatives, the Master of Arts in Gender-Based Violence, the first specialised postgraduate programme in Botswana dedicated entirely to equipping professionals with advanced knowledge and skills to address GBV.

Mr Gabasiane added that the centre would bring together research, teaching, advocacy, and community outreach under one roof.

He expressed hope that Ba Isago would eventually evolve into a fully-fledged School of Gender and Human Rights, broadening its scope to include rehabilitation programmes, grief and trauma counselling and international conferences aimed at driving global dialogue on GBV. ENDS