A COSTLY AFFAIR

- Measures to address GBV include introduction of Gender and Children Friendly Branches in Police stations, GBV Toll Free Line and Standard Operating Procedures for handling GBV cases.The Minister of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture, Tumiso Rakgare says Botswana must calculate the impact of Gender Based Violence (GBV), as a matter of urgency to determine just how much it costs the country.Rakgare told Parliament this week that although Botswana has not yet costed the impact of GBV, if the country would, it would run into millions.He made reference to other African countries including Kenya and Namibia, where the economic cost of GBV amounted to 1.1 percent in 2016 in Kenya and 6.01 per cent of the GDP in 2018 in Namibia.He said as evidence and data regarding the effects of GBV steadily increases, there has been recognition of the importance of improving responses to and prevention of GBV.“All people need to create spaces to discuss the best practices for prevention, response and protection of victims as well as constraints and challenges that have held back progress in eliminating GBV,” Rakgare said.He said conversations should include, examining the patriarchal order which shapes unequal gender relationships between men and women, norms and attitudes that condone violence against women, prevalent notions of masculinity as well as how women and girls who face multiple forms of discrimination are exposed to increased risk of violence.“The engagement of men and boys in the fight against GBV is important,” he said.Minister Rakgare who is also Member of Parliament for Mogoditshane said the nation needs to be engaged on key issues including the manifestations and prevalence of GBV, underlying causes of GBV and national response, ways and means to effectively prevent, provide care and support as well as prosecute and punish perpetrators and measures to implement to accelerate efforts for the elimination of GBV.So far measures to address GBV include introduction of Gender and Children Friendly Branches in Police stations, GBV Toll Free Line and Standard Operating Procedures for handling GBV cases.Government has also established Special Courts to speed up hearing of GBV cases to relieve the victims and survivors from the ordeal of having to wait for long periods before their cases are heard.Another intervention is the passing of Sexual Offenders Registry Act, which provides for among others, stiffer penalties against offenders and the establishment of the Sex Offenders Registry, which will record crimes and particulars of all persons convicted of sexual offences.The Minister believes that this should, to a large extent, deter potential offenders.Meanwhile, Botswana will this week join the rest of the world to commemorate International Women’s Day (IWD), that is globally commemorated on March 8.Botswana will commemorate it in Mathathane village, under the theme, ‘DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality.’According to the Minister, the theme is aligned to the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67) on Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.Rakgare said the IWD theme calls on all to consider the gender digital divide as women and girls are missing in the digital space.“Although our girls are about two points above boys at tertiary education level, they are mostly concentrated in soft courses such as social sciences and are grossly missing in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) course,” he said.Rakgare calls upon the nation to appreciate the contribution of women and girls.

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A COSTLY AFFAIR