Africa-Press – Botswana. Botswana Police Service (BPS) leadership has been commended for their drive towards gender disparity.
The applause was in response to the numbers registered of 341 or 34 per cent female graduates who were part of the 998-graduating cohort at the Botswana Police College in Otse on August 8.
In that regard, His Excellency President Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi said the numbers were testament to the fact that women and girls were welcome to serve in the police services.
He made the remarks during a keynote address at a pass out parade for the No. 1 Class of 2023-2024.
The 34 per cent of female graduates will significantly increase the female composition of the police, which is a positive step towards achieving goal five of the United Nations 2030 Agenda that seeks to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls, he said.
Therefore, President Masisi encouraged women and girls to join the BPS whenever an opportunity arises.
“There can never be a better motivation for you than the ascent of Commissioner Dinah Marathe to be the Chief of Police,” he said.
On another positive note, President Masisi applauded the BPS for setting up eight child-friendly centres in a bid to improve access to services by children who came in contact with the law, either as victims or wrongdoers.
He urged them to use the available resources to protect vulnerable women and children in areas where there was no such a facility. He also said he was equally perturbed by the prevalence of GBV in the society.
“Our women and children, particularly the girl-children, continue to be brutally assaulted, abused, raped and even murdered especially by people they look up to for love and protection,” he said.
Even though the statistics for such violations seem to have decreased for the year 2023 as compared to 2022, President Masisi said he remained deeply disheartened by the scourge that needed to be uprooted from the society.
“I condemn, unequivocally, the recent murder of innocent children in Francistown, Matsiloje and Maun. My government will do everything to annihilate this monstrous development,” said President Masisi adding that his government would continue to avail resources to the BPS to efficiently and effectively combat GBV.
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