Men to be celebrated
Commemoration promotes positive dialogue about men
For the first time besides for Father’s day in June, men will be celebrated in what the Ministry of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture (MYSC) terms International Men’s Day (IMD). This will be one of the gender days, set aside for commemoration by the Ministry following its recent rationalisation.
MYSC Permanent Secretary Kitso Kemoeng said the Ministry will celebrate men’s achievements and contributions; in particular, their contributions to community, family, marriage and child care on the 18th of November at Salajwe village.
The theme, “Promoting a Positive Conversation about Men,
Manhood and Masculinity” will guide a positive dialogue on and around men.
“As we celebrate men, we need to acknowledge that men and women are distinctively different,” Kemoeng explained. The day will begin with a march around the village and a programme at the village kgotla will follow.
Following the commemoration of IMD, the Ministry will celebrate Sixteen Days of Activism Against Violence on Women and Children.
A 2012 GBV indicator study showed that 67 percent of women had suffered some form of violence in their lifetime, whilst 44 percent of men admitted to have perpetrated some form of violence in their lifetime.
Kemoeng noted that a 2019 survey indicated that 28.4 percent female and 43.0 percent male children suffer physical violence before the age of 18 years.
“The three leading perpetrators of physical violence on children are: parents, adult caregivers or adult relatives; adults in the community; and peers,” Kemoeng said.
Kemoeng is distressed by the fact that 80 students got pregnant at the height of the pandemic when the nation was in lockdown. He applauded civil society’s efforts in protecting the most vulnerable members of society.
Kemoeng explained that the government has made efforts in the past few years to combat GBV. Government adopted the Sexual Offenders Registry Act and in April 2021, the Botswana Police Service established the Gender and Child Protection Branch to promote reporting of GBV cases in a client friendly environment.
In December 2020, Government established special courts to speed the hearing of GBV cases. To date, over 50 percent of such cases have been heard and concluded.
Director of Gender and Child
Protection Branch at Botswana Police Goitseone Ngono said most GBV cases are school going children between 11 and 18 years.
A lot of these cases come as referrals from the Guidance and Counselling department in schools and from hospitals when children are put to bed.
“We need to inform and educate the population about the Children’s Act and different pieces of legislation that speak to the safety of children.
“Parents should also teach children safe use of the cyber space as this is also a way children get abused through digital media” Ngono explained.