Fact Sheet Botswana: Response and support

I STORY: Click here for Candice’s story

Key facts

• 80.1% of women and 77.8% of men were aware of laws that protect women and children against abuse.
• 46.2% of women and 42.5% of men said they had heard about the Domestic Violence Act.
• 19.6% of women and 24.4% of men heard about the Penal code sections 141-143
• 33.9% of women and 31.4% of men were aware of protection orders
• Radio is the main source of information on the Domestic Violence Act and the Penal code sections 141-143
• The prevalence of GBV reported in the survey is 24 times higher than that reported to the police. In the
  survey, only about one in nine women raped said they reported this to the police. This suggests that women
  still have little faith in the criminal justice system.
• Of the cases reported to the police in 2011, 9.5% got withdrawn.
• Of the 5185 cases of sexual, physical, emotional and economic violence before the courts 1883 cases (36.3%)
  resulted in prosecution. Some 30% resulted in conviction .
• With a prevalence rate of nearly 30% over the last year (according the survey) Botswana had 204 938 women
  who experienced violence. Of these, only 1596, or 0.6% got relief through the courts. This means that men
  who perpetrate violence literally get away with it.
• There are only two places of safety for women: Kagisano Women’s Shelter in Gaborone provided counselling
  services to 396 clients in 2010, and Molepolole DIC provided counselling services to 147 survivors in 2011
• Lifeline Botswana provided counselling to 144 GBV clients. This suggests a total capacity of about 687 per
  annum for counselling services.
• Although leaders acknowledge that support for survivors of violence is a state responsibility, there is still
  a wide gap between the services available and the need.

Click here for more information from the GBV Indicators research.

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