16 Days of Activism News from Botswana 7 December

By Keabonye Ntsabanye
Women’s NGO Coalition

Educating domestic workers is educating the world

7 December: Botswana Media Women Association in collaboration with GEMSA and Women’s NGO Coalition held a seminar for domestic workers on gender-based violence and HIV/AIDS. Youth and adults attended the seminar, some of whom were self-employed. The objective of the seminar was to educate domestic workers on the violence and HIV/AIDS and to raise awareness about the 16 Days of Activism in Botswana.

The seminar was officially opened by Councillor Kgomotso Mogami who said that government and NGOs needed to involve domestic workers in finding ways to address violence and HIV/AIDS.

She quoted the Botswana Vision 2016 which states that Botswana should be an educated and loving and caring nation. Mogami says this will not be possible as long as women and girls still experience violence. Among the issues discussed included a review of laws which discriminate against women, including inheritance rights and the services provided for women by the Women’s Affairs Department the Women’s Shelter Project and Emang Basadi

Participants were told about Emang Basadi and the Kagisano Women’s Shelter Project’s provision of legal aid and counseling to survivors of domestic violence. The issues that women seek advice on vary from maintenance, property grabbing and rape.

Participants were informed that the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs through the Women’s Affairs Department had commissioned a study to review all the laws that affect the status of women in Botswana. A number of amendments to laws had been made including:

* Citizenship (Amendment) Act of 1995 which now allows Batswana women, married to non–Batswana men to pass on their Botswana citizenship to their children.
* Employment (Amendment) Act of 1996 which allows Females to work underground in mines if they so choose and for the employment of women in any industry of an agricultural undertaking during the night without express consent.
* Deeds Registry Amendment Act of 1996 which now allows married women to register immovable property on their names.
* Criminal Procedure and Evidence Amendment Act (1997) – which provides for the mandatory hearing of rape and related offences out of the public eye.