BOSETU condemns children, women�s abuse
Lebogang Mosikare | Tuesday December 2, 2014 14:58
Giving a keynote speech at the commemoration of 16 days of activism against women and children in Francistown on Friday, Malemane said that abuse is a problem that affects people of all genders.
“BOSETU is known for advocating for teachers’ rights and welfare, but today we are here to impart knowledge on how we can stem the tide of abuse in homes and in the nation at large.
“Women and the girl child are the most affected by this scourge. They are abused by their caregivers, family members and members of the society.
“A study by Gender Links and the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs has shown that one in every four women had suffered different forms of abuse in the country,” said Malemane, adding that her message should not be interpreted to mean that different forms of abuse do also not affect men and boys. Malemane said that abuse is real and it also affects people with disabilities.
She said that women and the girl child are sometimes abused by prominent members of the society and even their own family members, which makes it difficult for the victims to report such cases to the police and other relevant authorities.
Malemane added: “People who are visually impaired and those who are blind and have hearing defects face obstacles when they report cases of abuse that affected them to relevant authorities.
“This is because, in some instances, they are helped by people who are not trained in sign language. “This is difficult and leaves the perpetrators of abuse not being prosecuted because of communication barriers.”
A concerned Malemane said that in some cases victims of various forms of abuse do not report the culprits if they are breadwinners in the family for fear of losing material support or becoming poor.
She impressed upon the audience that comprised of parents, teachers and students to report cases of abuse even if it means that one is going to suffer in the event that breadwinners in the family committed such atrocities.
“A loving father will not sexually abuse his daughter. If he does that it is tantamount to sex slavery. It should be condemned in the strongest possible terms,” said Malemane, adding that abuse negatively affects victims in many ways.
Malemane also cried out that people with disabilities are not given fair job opportunities like their able-bodied counterparts in the
society when looking for jobs.
She said a person should be hired on the basis of their competency to do the job and not by their physical appearance.
Malemane made a plea to lawyers to take on cases of abused people, especially the disabled on a pro-bono basis. Welcoming guests, the Regional Vice Chairperson of BOSETU in the north Hildar Keitumetse urged the students to take the message that they will receive during the day and use it to fight abuse that may be meted on them in future in order for them to become responsible citizens.