Declare Gender-based violence a national crisis in Botswana!

Petición dirigida a: Botswana National Parliament & The President of Botswana

We want the Government of Botswana to officially declare Gender-Based Violence (GBV) a National Crisis - just as HIV/AIDS was once declared. This declaration would recognize the urgent and devastating impact of GBV across our communities and unlock stronger, coordinated action across government, civil society, and the private sector.
Declaring GBV a national crisis would:

• Prioritize national resources for prevention, protection, and survivor support.
• Lead to legal reforms that close loopholes in the GBV Act and ensure that GBV is treated as a criminal offence, with strict penalties for repeat offenders.
• Strengthen data collection and transparency to understand the true scale of the problem.
• Improve training and accountability for police, healthcare workers, and all first responders.
• Expand safe houses, psychosocial support, and survivor empowerment programs, including financial and educational assistance.
• Ensure GBV education and awareness reach rural and underdeveloped communities where violence is often normalized.

Ultimately, we want a Botswana where every woman, man girl and boy feels safe, protected, and heard.

How It Can Be Implemented

1. Presidential Declaration:
2. The President issues a formal proclamation declaring GBV a national crisis, mandating immediate inter-ministerial coordination and response.
3. National Task Force:
4. A GBV Crisis Response Task Force is established within 30 days, bringing together government ministries, civil society, youth movements, survivor networks, law enforcement, and healthcare representatives.
5. Legal & Policy Reform:
6. Parliament commissions an urgent review of the GBV Act to strengthen penalties, define offences more clearly, and ensure GBV is recognized as a criminal, not civil, matter.
7. National GBV Fund:
8. Establish a dedicated GBV Response Fund to support safe houses, mental health services, survivor reintegration, and community education campaigns.
9. Capacity Building for First Responders:
10. Mandatory training for police officers, nurses, social workers, and magistrates to improve how GBV cases are handled and ensure survivor-centered responses.
11. Reliable Data & Research:
12. Create a centralized GBV data system that collects disaggregated statistics (by gender, type of violence, and region) to inform policy and advocacy.
13. Community Awareness & Education:
14. Roll out a year-long public education campaign targeting schools, workplaces, and rural communities to challenge harmful norms and promote respect, empathy, and emotional awareness.
15. Monitoring & Accountability:
16. The Task Force publishes quarterly progress reports, while an independent civil society coalition monitors implementation and outcomes.