09 Mar 2025

The Minister of Youth and Gender Affairs, Ms Lesego Chombo has urged traditional leaders to play an active role in combatting gender-based violence (GBV).

Speaking at the 2025 International Women’s Day Commemoration in Ramotswa recently, Ms Chombo emphasised the impact and authority of Dikgosi in maintaining order within their communities.

According to the minister, about 755 tribal leaders have already been trained on gender mainstreaming, a crucial step toward eliminating GBV.

However, Ms Chombo pointed the importance of empowering women by providing them with financial independence in curbing GBV.

Minister Chombo further stated that in collaboration with United Nations (UN) Women, Botswana was implementing EntreprenHER, an initiative aimed at empowering women through entrepreneurial skills training.

She said about 621 women benefitted in Phase II of the program in 2024, and Phase III was underway, focusing on Climate Smart Agriculture to enhance women’s resilience in the face of climate change.

The minister emphasised the importance of such programmes were in promoting women’s economic empowerment and self-sufficiency, vital components of gender equality and the elimination of GBV.

Ms Chombo acknowledged that while notable strides were made in women’s empowerment, several challenges remained. One such challenge, she said, was the underrepresentation of women in political leadership positions.

Another hurdle to overcome, she added, was increasing the participation of women and girls in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) fields.

She expressed gratitude to organisations such as Botswana International University for Science and Technology, Debswana and Women in mining, among others, for their efforts to promote gender equality in these areas.

UN resident coordinator, Mr Zia Choudhury reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to combating GBV and achieving gender equality. He underscored the importance of making gender equality a priority in national budgets and creating equal opportunities for decent jobs for women.

Moreover, he emphasised the critical role that women and girls must play in decision-making processes at all levels.

The National Gender Commissioner, Ms Njiramanda Mbewe called for a national response to GBV, citing it as a crisis that required concerted action.

She highlighted gender mainstreaming, increased female representation in law and policymaking, and ending the practice of child marriage as critical in combating GBV.

Ms Mbewe highlighted the challenge of parents who condone child marriage by accepting financial compensation from perpetrators, effectively obstructing justice for victims of paedophilia.

She underscored the importance of addressing the root causes of GBV, such as gender inequality and harmful societal norms.

Balete paramount chief, Kgosi Mosadi Seboko pointed to poor parenting skills as a significant contributing factor to gender-related issues.

She emphasised the importance of engaging men and women in dialogue to address the underlying causes of GBV.

The year 2025 marks exactly 30 years since the adoption of the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action.

This year’s international Women’s Day was celebrated under the theme “For all women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.” ENDS