27 Oct 2024

In recent weeks, there have been an uproar on the need to do more on issue of gender based violence (GBV), with females mostly on the receiving end.

During the Botswana Television presidential candidates’ debate on Thursday, aspirants were given a chance to have a say on the issue.

Presenting his views, Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) leader, Advocate Duma Boko said the safety of women a girls was a concern, and that it was unfortunate that sometimes their vulnerabilities ended up fatal.

“All this is due to economic challenges. Women find it hard to leave abusive relationships because of these economic hardships, so let us take them out of such vulnerabilities and help them become independent,” he said.

Adv. Boko also said it was even sad that such abuse also affected kids, adding that the evidence based policy formulation and continuous monitoring and evaluation showed that interventions by the ruling party were not working.

Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) presidential aspirant, Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi also had no sweet words for, and agreed that one of the best ways to address the societal ill was through women empowerment. “We need to empower them across various sectors, including politically to give them hope. Let us give them more leadership positions and the result of this should also reflect across sectors of the economy,” he said.

He said that as a sign of seriousness on addressing GBV, his government would stiffen sentences for GBV offences, and that they would also commit more resources into rebuilding families affected by GBV and drug abuse.

Mr Mephato Reatile of the Botswana Patriotic Front argued that a boy child should be raised knowing how to respect a girl child through independent associations and organisations.

“These organisations and associations will be funded by government run empowerment workshops, and it is already a positive that Batswana have passion on such issues and only need facilitation. The current setup where we have to wait for men to go to prison first before we rehabilitate them is wrong,” he said.

For his part, Mr Dumelang Saleshando of the Botswana Congress Party also said there was economic imbalance in Botswana, which he said should be addressed through women empowerment to nip abuse in the bud, noting that the right to decent work would help to empowering women.

He also called for the establishment of a ritual murders unit at the Botswana police.

Mr Saleshando also said poverty led to the vulnerability of women, which made them susceptible to abuse. Ends