Calls on media to report on GBV issues with sensitivity
Considered as another pandemic that has engulfed Botswana, Gender Based Violence (GBV) continues to dominate conversations and media headlines.
On Wednesday the Minister of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs, Annah Mokgethi launched the 16 Days of Activism against GBV in Hukuntsi.
This year’s commemoration is held under the theme “Unite to end gender based violence.”
The 16 days of activism are expected to run until December 10th.
Whilst a reported six women are being raped everyday in Botswana, it is GBV amongst intimate partners/spouses or ex-lovers that continues to rise.
Speaking at the official launch, Mokgethi said GBV has become a national crisis especially that it also affects young girls. Mokgethi further said that GBV does not only affect women but also affects men.
“A 2018 study shows that 37 percent of women say they have been abused at least once in their lives whilst 21 percent of their male counterparts- say they too have been abused. This statistics show that both men and women face abuse at one point in their lives,” Mokgethi said.
The Minister –who was at the receiving end of a social media backlash for her apparent dismissal of an urgent motion to set up a commission against GBV, a narrative she has since clarified further said, “A lot of cases recorded and reported are between lovers and married couples. A lot of these cases were reported during the lockdown phases. When schools resumed, Botswana recorded 58 pregnancies amongst school children, the question is who impregnated these school children?” She asked.
Supporting the Minister was the Deputy Director of Gender Affairs, Phemelo Maiketso who spoke at the launch of the tripartite education campaign on GBV – a partnership between KBL and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and highlighted that Covid- 19 has amplified the spread of GBV.
“The 2018 Botswana relationship study revealed that 97 % of men who reported perpetrating intimate partner violence had also experienced abuse before they reached the age of 18,” she said.
Maiketso further noted that some of the challenges Government faces are the inadequate financial and human resource to support the implementation and monitoring of GBV related interventions.
“Botswana as a country has taken cognizance of the need to adopt a multi sectoral response given the urgent need to protect, ensure respect and full human rights, especially for women and girls, and other vulnerable groups such as people with disability,” she added.
The media was also called to play its part by reporting fairly in a sensitive manner in order not to perpetuate gender disparities and stereotypes.
