- GBV against women. Children with disabilities pervasive, under reported
A growing body of evidence suggests that gender-based violence (GBV) against women and children with disabilities in Botswana is not only pervasive but severely underreported.
While official law enforcement data suggests a much smaller scale of abuse, NGOs however through ground work show a higher volume of instances.
To highlight, Maun Police Station Commander Superintendent Joseph Lepodise stated that only two cases involving persons with intellectual disabilities were reported last year, and this year so far, two cases have been recorded. At Gumare Police Station Commander Sueperintendent Chenamo Orateng, the commander reported only one case this year involving a person with a disability, admitting that very few such cases are brought to them.
However, Moffat Louis, Director of the Botswana Council for the Disabled has emphasised that while the institution does not keep specific statistics on GBV affecting women and children with disabilities but such cases are often concealed. “These cases tend to be underreported,” he said, citing the cultural stigma and structural barriers that discourage victims or their families from seeking help.
Social worker Tagwa Chauke, of Tshidilo Stimulation Centre also reported that in a three-year study conducted with NAPA, females with Down syndrome were the most victimized due to their intellectual disabilities, which perpetrators often exploit. Chauke cited that in many cases, girls with disabilities live with elderly caretakers, and it later emerges that the abuse occurred within their own homes.
She shared that between 2022 and 2024, the centre recorded six GBV cases involving females with disabilities aged 5 to 30.
Ikanyeng Wally, a counselor also from Tshidilo, emphasized that while women in general face systemic abuse, women with disabilities endure even more dire circumstances. She said many live in poverty and may feel compelled to remain in abusive relationships or unsafe living arrangements due to a lack of options.
Wally also highlighted a troubling pattern of abuse by caretakers, those entrusted to protect. She shared that in many homes, caretakers or parents actively conceal the existence of disabled children. Moreover, she explained that fathers of children with disabilities often disown them, further complicating support structures.
Wally shared that within her practice, she recorded instances that happened between February and April of this year alone, where five girls with disabilities aged 10 to 14 suffered sexual abuse. Additionally, two cases of sexual abuse and three of physical abuse were reported among women aged 20 and above. Most victims had intellectual disabilities.
Tebogo Nhlatho, Chairperson of the Down Syndrome Association of Botswana, confirmed the severity of the problem, calling it “alarmingly underreported but disturbingly prevalent.”
According to Nhlatho, families often remain silent due to shame, stigma, or fear of disbelief. She described signs such as sudden behavioral changes, withdrawal, and regression in communication as common red flags.
Nhlatho expressed frustration at systemic gaps noting that police and healthcare workers often lack training in disability-sensitive communication, leading to poor investigations or case dismissals. She added that court systems rarely adapt to accommodate cognitive disabilities, and victims may be deemed “unreliable” witnesses.
This hidden epidemic of abuse against women and children with disabilities calls for urgent action. The situation illuminates that without structural reforms, targeted interventions, and inclusive public education, the cycle of silence and suffering will continue leaving the most vulnerable in our society to bear the brunt of a failing system.
