Red Cross helps communities fight GBV
Botswana Red Cross Society (BRCS) has embarked on a journey to strengthen community structures in the fight against Gender Based Violence (GBV).
Botswana Red Cross Society Health and Care Coordinator, Neo Mogowa told The Midweek Sun on Monday that this will be achieved by engaging and capacitating community leaders and influencers who will champion the fight against GBV.
“Botswana has long been facing a problem of GBV and it has remained shrouded in silence to the extent of being normalised.
“However, Covid-19 has contributed to a surge in cases and exposed gaps in the current response towards the issue,” Mogowa said.
According to Mogowa, the community engagement will start today (Wednesday) and go on until June 30th 2021. It will target dikgosi, dikgosana, Village Development Committees, PTA, farmers committees, village health committees, pastors, traditional healers, and other community influencers. On the 26th April Botswana Red Cross trained 20 staff members on GBV so that they will be able to address these issues with the community leaders.
Mogowa said this is the second campaign to be held, adding that in 2020, 695 community leaders were trained out of a target of 600 that was set in 50 villages. In 2021 their target is to train 600 leaders in 50 villages including Tsabong, Phuduhudu, and Mantshwabisi. Mogowe added that the campaign is aimed at addressing community engagement approaches and establish community forums. It is also meant to develop, empower and utilise community structures and maintain them. “The campaign also aims at improving the link between researchers and policy makers, improve on data availability on GBV issues, improve livelihood support to reduce GBV cases that are related to poverty, as well as enhance collaboration between all players in the fight against GBV,” Mogowe said. Topics to be covered have a transformative approach on GBV issues. They include, contextualising the response and challenges and finding solutions.
Mogowe said the Botswana Red Cross Society is committed to protecting its employees with supportive policies and interventions, as well as capacity building on GBV issues and as a response and a humanitarian organisation, the staff needs to be empowered in order to train volunteers and be able to assist in facilitating communities.