13 Apr 2025

Gender-based violence (GBV) needs united fronts to be tackled, not just government action, says the Vice President Mr Ndaba Gaolathe.

Speaking at the launch of Tshepo le Bontle-Youth Against GBV programme, Mr Gaolathe said the wisdom of elders, teachings at schools, compassion of the church and the passion of the youth were all needed to end GBV.

“As young people you have voices that shake silence, minds that can build empires and hearts that can heal a nation,” he said, encouraging them to innovate with boldness and use their tools of entrepreneurship, education, digital platforms to create change that was meaningful, sustainable, and inclusive.

Mr Gaolathe urged the young people to rise and lead in the fight against GBV. He said the new Ministry of Youth and Gender Affairs was established in part to ensure that gender portfolio received the attention it deserved, following the national outcry sparked by persistent gender inequalities that prevailed in society hindering inclusive socio-economic development and the full enjoyment of human rights. “We know that GBV is not just a statistic but a scar on the soul of a nation. Healing demands that we move as one, no more silos, no more silence and no more standing still,” Mr Gaolathe said.

He said government’s intention was to intensify efforts for gender mainstreaming across all sectors and institutionalise gender responsive budgeting to ensure that priority areas such as GBV were addressed through adequate resourcing. 

Mr Gaolathe applauded Tshepo le Bontle Youth Against GBV programme founders for their bold and compassionate steps in addressing the GBV issue. The youth programme will undertake a six-month national tour, a journey that will reach 200 schools across the country.“This is no ordinary outreach. It is a pilgrimage of hope, a march of purpose, reaching not just classrooms, but living rooms, through house-to-house visits and community-rooted workshops, especially in our rural heartlands. You remind us that true leadership does not always wear a title, sometimes it wears sneakers dusted with the soil of village roads and hearts lit with the fire of purpose,” Mr Gaolathe said.

Founder of the programme, Ms Ketlhalefile Kgosietsile who is also Miss Epic Botswana said when they started, their focus was on learners only but they extended the programme to all people dealing and affected with GBV. 

She said the programme was driven by three pillars of Education, Encouragement and Empowerment. She said the project was a promise to the affected victims to give them hope and trust.

Meanwhile, acting deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education Mr Boitshepo Makhua said the ministry had made a deliberate move to include GBV as part of the curriculum. He therefore said the ministry would start with early child education. ENDS