Fact Sheet Botswana: Patterns and drivers of GBV

I STORY: Click here for Kefilwe’s story.

Key facts

• Women in the 18-29 age group reported the highest lifetime IPV , while women in the 45 years and above
  age group reported the lowest lifetime IPV.
• 88% of women and 66% of men reported being abused as children; most of this physical abuse. There is a
  correlation between experience of child sexual abuse and perpetration of physical or sexual IPV.
• A significantly greater proportion of men who drank alcohol in the 12 months to the survey were more likely
  to perpetrate IPV than men who did not drink alcohol.
• Eighty-three percent of women and eighty two percent of men agreed that women and men should be
  treated equally, but contradicted themselves (especially men) in their views on such questions as women
  obeying their husbands.
• Women and men participating in the study perceived themselves to be more progressive than their
  communities.
• The rhetoric of gender equality has been internalised, but this is not yet translating into reality. Women are
  beginning to understand and assert their rights, but men are not yet walking the talk.
• Despite GBV being the most flagrant violation of human rights in Botswana and Southern Africa only 6%
  of the speeches by politicians over the last year focused on GBV while 15% made some mention of the
  scourge.
• GBV constituted 5% of media coverage n a 2009 study; with women comprising only 26% of news sources.
• Perpetrators of GBV are three times more likely than survivors to be heard in the news in Botswana.

Click here for more information from the GBV Indicators research.

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