GBV is an expensive phenomenon
Baboki Kayawe | Friday June 10, 2016 15:11
By virtue of being duty bearers – in a position to push for reforms, promote adherence to laws as well as shape public opinion through availing information for debate - the media was implored to help combat this economic and social ill. “GBV is very expensive, the amount of resources needed to fight its implications are massive. It also affects productivity in a bad way, if a woman is physically abused for instance, they cannot perform well at work,” she said.
However, no study have been undertaken in Botswana yet to establish the cost of GBV.
“We need to start talking about it, and find ways to curb it prevalence,” she added.
Jeni Klugman, former World Bank Group Gender and Development Director highlighted the economic repercussions well when launching research, prepared for a forthcoming World Bank Group report on challenges to gender equality, showing how domestic violence significantly impact on a country’s GDP.
“This underscores that the loss due to domestic violence is a significant drain on an economy’s resources. Violence against women and girls is a global epidemic, with devastating consequence for individuals, communities, societies, and economies. Addressing this challenge head-on promises to significantly advance our efforts to end extreme poverty and increase prosperity for all,” she said then.
Given the status of GBV in the country, the financial implications as Segotso hinted are massive. Botswana has a double problem because while one-thirds of the women population globally has experienced this violence, over two thirds of women in Botswana - 67 percent have experienced some form of gender violence in their lifetime. This includes both partner and non-partner violence. Despite its high prevalence, thousands of such cases remain unreported.
“Only one in nine cases of GBV are reported to the Police,” Segotso said.
Gender violence thrives on women’s economic status, as a vicious cycle in which women’s weaker economic status triggers the abuse that then worsens their standing.
The phenomenon is intrinsically linked to sexual reproductive health, experts have established. These include increased rates of injuries, morbidity, mortality, sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS and health risks associated with unwanted pregnancies, researchers say.
In 2008, the country passed the Domestic Violence Act, which provides for the protection of survivors of domestic violence and related matters.
The law defines domestic violence as any controlling or abusive behaviour that harms the health or safety of the application and includes physical abuse or threat thereof, emotional, verbal or psychological abuse, economic abuse, intimidation, harassment, damage to property, where the applicant and respondent do not stay in the same home, entry into the applicant’s home without his or her consent, unlawful detainment, or stalking.