Violence Against Women
Source: Mmegi Online As many as 53 out of 100 women, have at one stage or another been forced into unprotected sex by their partners. This was revealed by gender officer at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Irene Ramatala, at a New Directions in Global Health seminar held in Sowa Town, which addressed gender based violence (GBV) and its links to HIV/AIDS infection. Ramatala noted that the figures were from a 2010 study.
She said the study showed women who experienced GBV were 50 percent more likely to be infected with HIV than women in non-violent relationships.
It also showed that 23 percent of women had experienced violence during pregnancy.
Ramatala said that other issues of concern included defilement and incest, but they were less likely to be reported.
She further said a 2012 Gender Violence Indicator Survey had shown that most GBV victims suffered at the hands of someone close to them.
"As many as 67 percent of women in Botswana have experienced some form of gender violence in their lifetime and 44 percent men admitted to perpetrating violence against women," she said.
Ramatala said their main worry was that many women do not report cases.
"Only 1.2 of Botswana women reported cases of GBV to the police during the same period indicating women are not using the system that is supposed to protect them," she noted.
Ramatala said while HIV prevalence in Botswana was higher among females at 20.4 percent than males' at14.2 percent; GBV prevented the women from accessing HIV services.
"Abused women do not have the ability to negotiate condom use [and] are therefore more vulnerable to HIV and some individuals mostly children get infected as a result of gender violence," she added.
Ramatala said an integrated approach is needed to address GBV and HIV at multiple levels. She pointed out that the United States government's goal was to help build the capacity of the Botswana government by implementing partners and communities to raise awareness and respond effectively to gender based violence.
She also said the American government would support policies aimed towards ending the spread of HIV and violence, such as the implementation of the Domestic, Violence Act and the Children's Act.
Ramatala further said the US government activities also include capacity building of service providers, referrals of GBV, community mobilisation and raising awareness and provision of services to survivors.