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Botswana: Shelter Focuses On Gender Based Violence
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Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone)
18 March 2008
Posted to the web 18 March 2008
Thato Chwaane
In a bid to build a non-violent society, the Kagisano Society-Women's Shelter (KS-WSP) is organising a dinner aimed at raising awareness on gender based violence.
The assistant patron, Mmasekgoa Masire-Mwamba, said at a press briefing on Tuesday that domestic violence is a serious problem in Botswana.
She said each year from 2003 to 2006, the police have reported over 1,500 cases of rape, over 300 cases of defilement and between four to eight cases of incest.
This, she said, represents a small percentage of rapes because a majority still go unreported for fear of reprisals, or, their cases may not be taken seriously.
She said, however, that the victims need to know that the law is on their side. She said that domestic violence is very pervasive and the challenge is that it affects women across economic strata and social backgrounds.
She said such violent behaviour should be abhorred. Masire-Mwamba said in the era of 'passion killings' the fear of death becomes a reality to the victim.
Many victims become isolated. Some quit jobs or move to get away from violence.
The centre steps in to offer temporary accommodation at secret locations to extremely vulnerable women and children. The shelter has space for 22 people for a maximum of three months and has had clients from across Africa and globally. The centre counsels around 12 people a week on average.
It offers legal services and counselling. It also offers survival skills training, for one to be assertive by speaking for their rights and empowers them to have skills for economic projects.
The fundraising event is meant to raise funds for the centre's programmes and future projects. They also want to raise funds to pay trained counsellors and legal staff.
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Masire-Mwamba says they will bring together corporate people from across the country to the event that will be held at Gaborone Sun on April 11.
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