09 Mar 2026

Advancing access to justice for women and girls is a global and national concern. 

Officiating at International Women’s Day in Moshana on Thursday, the Minister of Youth and Gender, Ms Lesego Chombo said it was important to note that women across the world including Botswana, continue to face discrimination, sexual exploitation and abuse, violence and systemic inequalities, which may require legal redress. 

She stated that in Botswana access to justice was guaranteed a fundamental right. However, she noted that while Magistrate and High Courts exist, they were concentrated in urban centres posing challenges for accessibility to the wider citizenry. 

Therefore, she said customary courts which were historic custodians of the community, have a huge stake in citizens accessing justice, particularly at community level. 

Ms Chombo added that customary courts were widely used, more accessible and using local language, settling about 80 per cent of disputes, and by so doing providing justice for many. 

“While we have a strong legal system, there are challenges that we need to overcome; including geographical barriers as local courts are not fully accessible in remote areas, thereby creating physical and economic obstacles,” she said. 

Ms Chombo emphasised that government was fully aware of the justice system gaps and has initiated steps for remedy. 

“These include reforms such as the use of Information Technology and Communications (ICT) to improve access to justice system and address the needs of specific groups for mainstreaming gender within their different portfolios,” she said. 

She said government in August 2025, commenced the process of developing gender-based violence legislation, which will consolidate and strengthen existing legal provision while addressing significant legal social and systemic gaps that perpetuate GBV in Botswana. 

Commemorated under the theme : Give to Gain: Advancing Justice, Equality and Empowerment for Women and Girls,” Minister Chombo said the theme served to remind Batswana and their partners that when valuable resources investment was made intentionally such as time, finances, technical skills and infrastructure, coupled with common goal of empowering women and girls the entire nation benefits. 

“Let me emphasise that the theme is not asking for any favours or sympathy to women and girls but commitment to supporting them and ensuring that they have equal access and fully enjoy opportunities that are available in their environment,” she said. 

The UN Resident, Ms Wenyang Yang said Botswana has made major and historic reforms including abolition of marital power, which eliminated the husband’s legal dominance over his wife and restored full legal capacity to married women. 

Ms Yang said Botswana has reached gender parity in education especially primary and lower secondary enrolment, with girls outperform boys in primary, lower and upper secondary completion and tertiary enrolment. 

“While statutory law protects women’s rights, we acknowledge that customary practices sometimes lag behind from legal protections, especially in rural settings where patriarchal norms persist,” she said. BOPA