- this as the area experiences an increase in domestic violence cases
As the Okavango district continues to grapple with an increasing case of domestic violence, authorities have since intensified their fight against the problem coming up with both long- and short-term strategies.
Opening Okavango District Council (ODC) full session this week, chairman Gaopalelwe Ronald revealed that cases of rape increased by over 23% from 36 cases to 47 while those of defilement increased by 6% from 49 cases to 52. He added that unlawful wounding and threat to kill also recorded an increase 25% and 50% respectively.
The chairman stated that in these cases women and girls are mostly at the receiving end while men are predominately perpetrators. “These acts leave emotional, physical and physiological scars on the victims and their immediate family members while also creating an environment that is not conducive for the upbringing of the children,” Ronald lamented.
Without targeted interventions, the situation threatens to spiral further out of control, leaving countless families devastated. The persistence of cultural norms that tolerate violence against women, limited access to justice for victims and inadequate resources for law enforcement and support services continue to hinder progress. Additionally, ensuring that perpetrators are held accountable remains a pressing concern as most cases reportedly go unreported either by victims themselves or parents and guardians
That as it may, the chairman has indicated that the Department of Gender Affairs has since intensified short-term targeted strategies aimed at accelerating action against skyrocketing GBV incidents. To that end, he indicated that, 114 (58 women and 56 men) including traditional doctors were reached with transformative interventions in the month of December 2024.
According to him, these activities were conducted in collaboration with Women Against Rape (WAR) and Botswana Christian AIDS Intervention Programme (BOCAIP) and targeted hegemonic masculinity and inherent patriarchal value systems. These systems he complained have proven to perpetuate GBV cases in Okavango District.
“These engagements dissected structural impediments perpetuating GBV cases and devised village centred solutions,” the chairman explained.
As a long-term strategy to combat GBV, Ronald revealed that the department is also set to launch a programme dubbed ‘Community Navigators Initiative (CNI)’ that heralds a transformative strategy anchored on tackling the problem through a deliberate community engagement approach.
The programme according to him, is a landmark initiative set to curb the ever-increasing cases of GBV in Okavango, especially against children and women.
Ronald emphasised, “the programme underscores the importance of mobilising communities to partake in the reduction and ultimately the elimination of GBV cases.” He stressed that this will ensure that communities, particularly women and children are safe and their human rights are fully respected and protected.
