CCPR Slams Botswana Over Magadi, Polygamy
Innocent Selatlhwa | Tuesday November 16, 2021 06:00
At its 3827th meeting, held on November 1, 2021, the committee adopted the present concluding observations. In their report, the committee amongst other things slams the country for not doing enough to fight violence against women and children.
The committee slams ‘harmful’ traditional practices including payment of bride price and polygamy amongst others.
“The committee is concerned about the high level of violence against women and children, including sexual and domestic violence, which have significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, and about the persistence of harmful traditional practices against women and children, including child marriage, polygamy, widowhood rites and the payment of bogadi,” reads the report.
The committee is also concerned about the lack of criminalisation of marital rape and sexual violence in domestic legislation, the low level of reporting of cases and the high rate of withdrawal of complaints.
It is further concerned at the insufficient protection and support afforded to victims of domestic violence and their families, including the number of shelters, medical, psychological and rehabilitation services.
The committee continued to state that it regrets not having received sufficient information on the number of investigations, prosecutions and convictions of perpetrators in cases of violence against women and children.
Making their recommendations to the government party led by Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration minister, Kabo Morwaeng, the committee said: “The State party should strengthen the legal and institutional frameworks to protect women and children against violence, including by explicitly criminalising marital rape and sexual violence, and ensuring the full and effective implementation of the Domestic Violence Act (2008)”.
Government has also been urged to take concrete steps to eradicate harmful traditional practices, including through systematic awareness-raising campaigns and programmes to sensitise society and change attitudes, mentalities and stereotypes.
They were also urged to ensure that cases of violence against women and children were thoroughly investigated, that perpetrators are prosecuted and, if convicted, punished with appropriate penalties, and that victims have access to effective remedies and means of protection and assistance, including to shelters in all parts of the country and to assist with adequate medical, psychological and rehabilitation support services.
It was also recommended that Botswana government should conduct awareness-raising for the general public regarding violence against women and children, including the Domestic Violence Act (2008), and ensure police officers, prosecutors and judges in the criminal and customary courts receive appropriate training to effectively deal with such cases.
The CCPR Centre is an independent, non-governmental organisation seeking to realise its vision through universal ratification and implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).