With the 16 days of activism against gender violence having come and passed by, we the people of Botswana should seriously take interest in the meaning of this important period in our yearly calendar.
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence is an international campaign originating from the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute sponsored by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership in 1991.
Participants chose the dates, November 25, International Day against Violence against Women and December 10, International Human Rights Day, in order to symbolically link violence against women and human rights and to emphasize that such violence is a violation of human rights. This 16-day period also highlights other significant dates including November 29, International Women Human Rights Defenders Day, December 1, World AIDS Day, and December 6, which marks the Anniversary of the Montreal Massacre.
The 16 Days Campaign has been used as an organizing strategy by individuals and groups around the world to call for the elimination of all forms of violence against women by raising awareness about gender-based violence as a human rights issue at the local, national, regional and international levels, strengthening local work around violence against women, establishing a clear link between local and international work to end violence against women, demonstrating the solidarity of women around the world organizing against violence against women, creating tools to pressure governments to implement promises made to eliminate violence against women.
The BCP youth league wishes to challenge our people to critically evaluate the progress our country has made towards eliminating all forms of violence against women.
BCP youth league is worried that the BDP government continues to perpetuate its unwillingness to empower women, which leaves them exposed to many kinds of violence. The BDP continues to reject calls to change Botswana’s electoral system to Mixed-Member Proportional Representation, which has proved worldwide to increase women representation in political office.
BDP continues to disregard the empowerment of women organizations, like Emang Basadi, and others, which portrays the BDP government as only interested in using women for amassing votes during elections where women are used as cooks.
BDP continues to enslave women in slavery jobs such as Ipelegeng. Of mind to us as the BCP youth league is the tears of the mother of John Kalafatis (may his soul rest in peace) which we sadly witnessed at the funeral of his beloved son, and the tears of one mother, Bontle Osupile, whose child was murdered this year under mysterious circumstances which the Broadhurst Police has been unwilling to investigate.
These two women are still up to today angry with their country and possible government due to government’s underhanded dealings which perpetuates violence against women.
The Botswana Congress Party Youth League wishes to communicate BCP’s aims and objectives with regard to Gender equality.
Guided by our 2009-2014 elections manifesto, BCP aims to promote and sustain equality between men and women, adults and youth and among the different ethnic groups in the country strengthening legal instruments to protect women; facilitate the economic participation of women; strengthen health services for women; make education and training more accessible to women; promote political participation of women; and work towards the establishment of an anti-sexist society.
Lastly, the BCP youth league wishes to call upon all Batswana to actively participate in this yearly 16 days of activism against gender violence.
Tshepo Lempoetse
Women’s Affairs Secretary
BCP Youth League
