21 Sep 2026

The world must work together to combat gender-based violence (GBV) and create safe environments for women and children, First Lady Ms Kaone Boko has said.

Speaking at the Peace Is Possible awareness-building and fundraising art auction held at the Marc Straus Gallery in New York City, United States of America (USA), on Saturday evening, Ms Boko called for concerted global action against GBV.

While acknowledging that Botswana is internationally recognised as a peaceful country and has largely been spared some challenges faced by other African countries, such as child marriage and female genital mutilation, Ms Boko said the endemic prevalence rate of GBV remained worrisome.

She said Botswana could not continue to define peace merely as the absence of war when violence against women and children left part of the population living in despair. . She called on the international partners to help in raising funds, awareness and logistical support to aid Botswana in her battle against GBV.

The First Lady further commended African Odyssey, the initiative founded by South African media personality, entrepreneur and philanthropist Ms Carol Bouwer in partnership with American event planner Mr Carl Nelson, for organising the event and raising awareness on GBV.

Ms Bouwer said that African Odyssey had been working with the United Nations (UN) Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) and Brand South Africa in the “Peace Is All Of Us” series, and had this year solicited the support of Lucara Botswana and the First Lady, given shared concern over GBV.

“Our intent is to make sure that women’s voices are heard, women whose voices are not given access daily. We are pleased that when we came knocking to spread the message, the First Lady and Lucara Botswana

Managing Director, Ms Naseem Lahri, did not hesitate to partner with us,” Ms Bouwer said.

For her part, Ms Lahri said Botswana produced some of the world’s largest natural diamonds, which contributed to national development, and upheld democratic traditions, but GBV remained a blight on the country.

“Botswana is a very peaceful nation overall, but where there is no peace in the home, you are not free. Our peace is disturbed by GBV,” she said.

Ms Lahri said official statistics from the Botswana Police indicated that the country recorded high levels of GBV and called for international support to reverse incidences of abuse, rape and defilement.

“For every statistic lies an entire life being destroyed,” she said.
She announced that Lucara Botswana was establishing an anti-GBV fund to be anchored through the First Lady’s Office and had made an initial donation of P1 million.

Ms Lahri encouraged international partners attending the event to contribute towards the fund, which would support initiatives aimed at combating GBV.

WPHF Head, Ms Tonni Brodber explained that as the UN organ tasked with supporting women to prevent conflict, respond to crisis and build lasting peace, their work also relies on mobilising global funding.

Ms Brodber, said funding was critical to changing the status quo through dedicated activism.

Ms Brodber cited the work of Ms Nargis Nehan, who attended the event. Ms Nehan served as Afghanistan’s Minister of Mines, Petroleum and Industries from 2017 to 2021 before fleeing the country after the Taliban returned to power.

She now runs Equality for Peace and Democracy, an organisation that works to empower women and children to become active decision-makers.

Another speaker, American civic leader and philanthropist Ms Malaak Compton, said sexual violence and other forms of GBV could be addressed through investment in education and the creation of safe spaces for women and children

However, she said such interventions required critical funding.

Ms Compton, who attended the event with her daughter, Ms Zahra Rock, said a previous visit to Monrovia, Liberia, had heightened her awareness of the plight of African women.

She called on American donors to support anti-GBV programmes on the continent.
Art pieces, including a diamond-encrusted piece created by Lucara, were auctioned to support the anti-GBV fundraising initiative. ENDS