First Lady Engages with Community on GBV and Violence Against Women and Children
In her efforts to step up the fight against Gender-Based Violence and encourage Batswana to stand together as one against GBV and child abuse, First Lady Mrs Neo J. Masisi engaged in dialogue with Faith Based Organizations and Bahumagadi at an event held in Kgagodi Kgotla. The dialogues were organized by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development through the Department of Social Development with an effort to continue community grown interventions directed at addressing gender-based violence in Botswana, especially among communities where there is a significant number of such incidences.
First Lady said it is heartening to see how people are now talking freely on issues on gender based violence in church and that they are noticing right from wrong. She said the efforts towards curbing GVB in church and the community in generally shows that winds of change are here. She said her dialogues which are themes “Mmogo re ka kgona” calls for all stakeholders to stand up and take action against GBV, for all to continue asking themselves what their role is in this fight and to continue to advocate for zero tolerance against GBV.
The Men and Boys dialogue held at Mogapinyana Kgotla centered on toxic and positive masculinity and their role in the spread and the fight against GBV. First Lady Mma Masisi pointed out that this is the season where only men are seen as the answer to GBV and violence on women and children. She said it is very important for the communities to understand what the thought process of the men in their community men, what inspires them to be the change agents in the fight against GBV and violence on women and children.
The men admitted that drugs have a huge impact in the prevalent reported GBV cases in their community with high pressure areas being shebeens where there is lawlessness and disrespect between people of all ages and gender. They stated that most of the assaults and murders are likely to happen when people are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
They however cited lack of awareness and knowledge on definition of GBV as the biggest challenge in the fight against GBV as most of the things they are cautioned about are just what they grew up thinking is just normal. They admitted that generational GBV in their families and community has been entrenched in families that what is deemed abuse, the older generation sees as normal and called for public education to be intensified.
The men further encouraged each other to improve on parent -child communication more especially for father’s and their boy children in giving guidance and leadership to avoid angry children who grew up raising themselves. They explained that the importance of raising a child is to show right from wrong and that parents should desist from hiding biological fathers to their children. “Children tend to grow up with too much anger resulting in a lot of disrespect towards their parents and partners. Ngwana wa mosimane o godisiwa ke rraagwe. Do not deny children their privileges,” the elder generation advised further advising men to accept when their partners have fallen out of love with them.
According to the Deputy Permanent Secretary (Operations) in the MLGRD Ms Mamikie Kamanakao the objectives of the dialogues are to create awareness and educate communities about gender-based violence, conduct targeted dialogues for specific community groups, particularly leadership structures in order to address pertinent issues that affect these groups. She said that the dialogues are further to mobilize communities to upscale efforts directed at combating gender-based violence and to promote human and social development, as well as sustainable socio-economic development among individuals, families and communities in Botswana with the intention to build community resilience through gender-based violence interventions.
