Wives’ economic success intimidates husbands
Toxic masculinity is one of the causes of widespread violence in marriages, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Botswana Gender Based Violence Support and Prevention Centre, Lorato Moalosi has observed.
Moalosi, who says this on the backdrop of several cases of Gender Based Violence (GBV) that have been reported recently, feels that in most cases there are traces of insecurity on the part of men about their wives’ economic status. This subsequently leads them to manhandling and killing their spouses on account of their being too independent.
“Botswana has done well in empowering women through education and that often times translates to economic empowerment. The nation has to look back and empower men as well to accept this phenomenon,” she said.
Moalosi noted that post Covid-19 pandemic, a lot of people lost their jobs and some men were affected, leaving them as dependents rather than providers. According to Moalosi, this is a systematic issue that needs to be addressed.
She called on men who have traditionally assumed their role as providers to accept their situation if it does not fit that mould. She said as long as women are willing to support their men who are struggling financially, the men should learn to enjoy the support.
“We are not saying men should just sit and not work but that each person can contribute to the household even without formal employment.”
Meanwhile, Moalosi has also appealed to journalists who cover GBV cases to seek counselling as they may end up suffering from vicarious trauma, which is the emotional residue of exposure to traumatic stories and experiences of others through work.
“Self-care is important and journalists should find a place to debrief and offload what is in their minds,” Moalosi said.
She called on the leadership of media houses to take journalists for counselling sessions on a regular basis for them to continue to execute their duties diligently.
She noted that journalists affected by vicarious trauma may experience difficulty managing emotions, feeling emotionally numb or experiencing a shut down, fatigue, sleepiness, or difficulty falling asleep, as well as physical problems or complaints such as aches, pains, and decreased resistance to illness.