A National Emergency: Uniting to End GBV in Botswana

Christmas is considered a time for families to get together and celebrate one of the most important holy days in the global calendar. Yet, over a two-week period during this festive season in Botswana, it was certainly not a time of peace and goodwill for many. There were a reported 60 rapes, 19 murders, and 13 defilements. Most of the victims were likely women and girls. Globally, there are far more unreported crimes than reported ones, so the real figures for rape and child abuse may have been in the hundreds.

I find myself reflecting on a memory from my childhood in Glasgow, Scotland, at the end of the 1970s. 

We would often visit one of my mum’s close friends, who we knew simply as “Auntie”, and although I did not know at the time why she needed such care, I came to understand that Auntie was a victim of relentless domestic abuse. She was routinely battered by her husband, punched and slapped all over. She had her fingers broken. She had her hair pulled out. She was raped, often.

When Auntie’s daughter later got married, my mum asked what her new husband was like and she replied he was a good man, “and he doesn’t hit me”, as if spousal abuse were to be routinely accepted. You might have expected the police to intervene in Auntie’s case and others like it, but that didn’t happen. There seemed to be an attitude that this was “only” a domestic matter that would sort itself out.  Our wider community - by which I mean a close-knit group of Glasgow Bangladeshi families - rallied around to help Auntie. The women in the community offered love and kindness and support. Men in the community would chastise the abusive husband and let him know his behaviour was unacceptable.

But nobody actually made a meaningful intervention and nothing changed and this cycle of gender-based violence (GBV) went on and on. Auntie’s suffering continued unchecked. 

This lack of intervention is as relevant today as it was when I was a child, 50 years ago. It’s not that people in Botswana are not conscious or inactive about the issue. There is still stigma and fear of retribution for survivors to report GBV, but at a national level GBV has been high on the agenda of successive Governments. Many NGOs, churches, communities and individuals are very active, but something is wrong, as these interventions do not appear to have made a substantial difference in GBV rates. Let me add here that there is shortage of useable and joined up data on GBV which makes it very difficult to talk decisively about the absolute extent of the problem, who is most affected, where are the victims, is there enough support, and more. However, Botswana is consistently ranked among the worst countries globally for reported GBV in non-conflict settings. More than 67% of women in Botswana have experienced abuse, more than double the global average. More than 44% of men in Botswana admit to being perpetrators of violence. Let’s be absolutely clear about what is happening. Almost every person in Botswana knows someone who is battered or is being battered themselves.

A National Emergency

Recognizing the scale of this crisis, the National Gender Commission (NGC) convened an emergency consultative forum on January 14, 2025. Over 100 participants from civil society, government, and the UN gathered to discuss tangible solutions to make a meaningful impact within 200 days.

Key recommendations included lobbying the President to declare GBV a national emergency, akin to the approaches taken during the HIV/AIDS epidemic and COVID-19 pandemic. Such a declaration would frame GBV as a national priority, necessitating immediate, coordinated action.

Practical measures suggested include:

1. Legislation and Policy Development:
   • Enact an anti-GBV Act and review existing laws to ensure consistency and alignment with human rights.
   • Define GBV broadly, encompassing physical, psychological, and online abuse, as well as human trafficking.
2. Data and Accountability:
   • Establish a centralized, real-time registry of GBV data, potentially led by Statistics Botswana, and develop a GBV scorecard to track progress.
   • Ensure clear accountability mechanisms, such as oversight by the Auditor General or Ombudsman.
3. Multi-Sectoral Coordination:
   • Strengthen referral mechanisms between sectors such as health, judiciary, and social services.
   • Establish one-stop centers to provide comprehensive services for GBV survivors.
4. Capacity Building:
   • Conduct widespread training for community leaders, media, faith-based organizations, and educators to raise awareness and challenge harmful norms.
   • Integrate GBV education into school curriculums.
5. Resource Allocation:
   • Secure adequate funding and infrastructure for GBV response programs, including safe houses and hotline services.
6. Digital Transformation:
   • Leverage technology to reach remote communities, including digital platforms for reporting and accessing support.

In addition to the practical and immediate measures that can save lives now, efforts to address GBV in the long term require very deep introspection about ‘why do so many men in Botswana beat and rape women?’  We can point to societal issues that underpin this including poverty which in turn fuels inequality. We can try to make excuses that disempowered men, who are often heavy drinkers, turn to violence.

There may be bigger issues too, such as Botswana still routinely resorting to violence, and death, as a means of “justice” - through corporal punishment and capital punishment. If a legal system enshrines violence as normal, including against schoolchildren, then can we expect society at large to be kind and peaceful? A society that normalizes violence in any form risks perpetuating it at all levels.

There are other issues and actions to consider.

Promoting positive masculinities and engaging men and boys as allies in the fight against GBV is essential. Traditional and religious leaders, as influential community figures, can play a pivotal role in challenging harmful practices and fostering equality.

Women’s underrepresentation in leadership roles compounds the challenge. In Botswana, only six out of 63 elected Members of the National Assembly are women. Temporary measures, such as gender quotas, could significantly enhance women’s participation in political and public life, creating more gender-responsive policies.

Every person has a role to play in creating a safer society. Whether through volunteering, advocacy, or simply standing up against harmful behaviors, collective action is essential. Communities must rally around survivors not only with compassion but with effective, systemic solutions.

We cannot let GBV continue to rob women and girls of their dignity, safety, and lives. Botswana has shown its ability to respond decisively to crises in the past. Let us harness that same resolve to address GBV. Let us aim for a Botswana where every woman and girl can live free from fear, empowered to realize their full potential.

Auntie is no longer with us.  She deserved better, as do millions of others like her. In Botswana and the world over.