Africa-Press – Botswana. The Ministry of Youth and Gender Affairs has partnered with the Widows Walk Together Organisation to contribute to the drafting of Botswana’s new Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Bill. Permanent Secretary, Ms Bridget Poppy John, told stakeholders that the Bill has already received Cabinet approval. She emphasized the importance of gathering insights from groups with lived experiences, noting that widows face unique challenges that must be addressed in the legislation.
Representing Widows Walk Together, Ms Dineo Phuthi highlighted that widows continue to experience multiple forms of abuse. These include emotional and psychological abuse, economic abuse, property grabbing, harmful cultural practices, and structural violence. She explained that gaps in legal protection and enforcement leave widows vulnerable, particularly around inheritance, loss of homes and assets, limited awareness of rights, and restricted access to GBV services such as shelters and psychosocial support.
Ms Phuthi outlined key recommendations for inclusion in the GBV Bill. These include public education on widows’ rights, collaboration with traditional leaders, collection of GBV data disaggregated by marital status, stronger coordination across justice sectors, and criminalization of property grabbing and harmful cultural practices. She stressed that widows face severe and distinct GBV, and that the legislation must establish protection structures for them. The Bill should also align with Article 10 of the SADC Protocol, which guarantees protection from degrading treatment, safeguards property, and ensures equality in resources and opportunities.
Widows Walk Together, established in 2022, focuses on building socio-economic resilience among widows. The organisation continues to work closely with the Ministry to ensure that the new GBV legislation adequately addresses the vulnerabilities and rights of widows.
The collaboration highlights Botswana’s commitment to strengthening legal protections against gender-based violence. By including widows’ perspectives, the GBV Bill aims to close gaps in enforcement, promote social and economic justice, and provide targeted support for one of the most vulnerable groups in the country.
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