Experts of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Praise Botswana for Ratifying the Maputo Protocol, Raise Concerns about Gender-Based Violence and Women’s Political Representation
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women today concluded its consideration of the fifth periodic report of Botswana on its implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, with Committee Experts praising the State for ratifying the Maputo Protocol, and raising concerns regarding gender-based violence and low levels of representation of women within political bodies.
Esther Eghobamien-Mshelia, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Botswana, and other Committee Experts congratulated the State party on ratifying the Maputo Protocol and passing laws that addressed issues such as gender-based violence.
Several Committee Experts also welcomed the presence of the head of the delegation Lesego Chombo, Minister of Youth and Gender Affairs of Botswana and the youngest female minister in Africa at 26 years old. Brenda Akia, Committee Rapporteur and acting Chairperson for the meeting, said Ms. Chombo’s trailblazing efforts showed women and girls that anything was possible.
In the dialogue, a Committee Expert expressed concern that Botswana had one of the highest rape rates globally. Survivors continued to face limited access to shelters and chronic underfunding of services. What plans were in place to expand programmes combatting gender-based violence?
Another Committee Expert said women’s representation in political bodies in Botswana remained low, noting that there were no gender quotas for electoral lists. Was the State party considering such quotas and other measures for promoting women’s representation?
Introducing the report, Ms. Chombo said that in December 2023, Botswana ratified the Maputo Protocol, demonstrating continuing commitment to women's rights and gender equality. Further, the State had enacted gender sensitive laws, including the anti-human trafficking (amendment) act (2024), which aimed to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons.
The incidence of gender-based violence in Botswana was alarming, Ms. Chombo said. To combat this, the Government had committed to establishing one stop centres for integrated gender-based violence services, and was working on an integrated national action plan on gender-based violence.
The delegation added that from 2019 to 2024, funding in shelters for victims had increased three-fold. The National Gender Commission included representatives from faith-based communities, who met with religious groups to address norms that perpetuated violence. The State had trained the police and prison service staff on gender-based violence issues.
Women's representation in Botswana's political sphere remained limited, Ms. Chombo said. In the National Assembly, women held six out of 69 seats; in the Cabinet, they occupied 14 per cent of positions; and their representation in local Government elections stood at 15 per cent. The delegation also said that a study had been conducted on promoting women’s political representation, and capacity building towards this goal had also been carried out. The State recognised that reforms were needed to promote women’s political representation.
In closing remarks, Ms. Chombo said that the Committee’s insights would continue to guide national efforts to eliminate discrimination against women. The State party would strive to implement the Committee’s recommendations, and to enhance the full enjoyment of the fundamental rights of women and girls in Botswana.
Ms. Akia, in her concluding remarks, thanked the delegation for its engagement in the dialogue and commended the State party’s efforts to implement the Convention. The Committee encouraged the State to make further efforts to implement its recommendations for the benefit of all women and girls in Botswana.
The delegation of Botswana consisted of representatives from the Ministry of Youth and Gender Affairs; Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services; and the Permanent Mission of Botswana to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
The Committee will issue its concluding observations on the report of Botswana at the end of its ninety-first session on 4 July. All documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage. Meeting summary releases can be found here. The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.
The Committee will next meet at 5 p.m. on Friday, 4 July to close its ninety-first session.
Report
The Committee has before it the fifth periodic report of Botswana (CEDAW/C/BWA/5).
Presentation of Report
LESEGO CHOMBO, Minister of Youth and Gender Affairs of Botswana and head of the delegation, said that in 2024, Botswana held its thirteenth general elections, which resulted in a change of Government on 30 October 2024 for the first time in the history of the country. A peaceful transition of Government after the general elections marked a significant democratic milestone and reaffirmed the country's commitment to inclusive governance and the upholding of fundamental human rights. To this end, there were immediate plans to establish a Constitutional Court, which was expected to address human rights related issues, among others.
Botswana remained fully committed and aligned to the Convention and continued to make notable progress towards ending discrimination against women and safeguarding their rights. The Government pronounced the principles of human rights and gender equality as key priorities for ensuring sustainable development in the country. It established a dedicated Ministry of Youth and Gender Affairs, led by Ms. Chombo, the youngest minister on the continent at 26 years, demonstrating a strong commitment to meaningful youth inclusion, gender equality, and women’s empowerment in the national development process. The Government had intensified efforts to mainstream gender across all sectors and institutionalise gender responsive budgeting, to ensure that going forward priority areas such as gender-based violence were addressed through adequate resourcing.
Botswana recently launched a national sanitary pads initiative which provided free sanitary pads to all school going girls up to the age of 19 years, including those living with disabilities and those in rural areas. The initiative, funded at 4.9 million United States dollars per annum, aimed to address menstrual hygiene challenges and ensure that girls attended school without interruption.
Effective 1 April 2025, the monthly old age pension was raised by approximately 70 per cent to support senior citizens to maintain a dignified standard of living. The Government had committed to providing monthly financial assistance for newborn babies until they were one year old. It was also currently working on amending the country’s labour laws to introduce paternity leave, to promote family and work-life balance, as well as sharing of parenting roles. The laws were expected to be reviewed during the current financial year.
The Government had undertaken a pilot project titled “EntreprenHer”, which aimed to increase women’s capacity in business and life skills; advocate for access to funding; promote women entrepreneurs’ digital literacy; enhance technical and institutional support; encourage women farmers to adopt climate smart agriculture technologies; and promote and strengthen networking among Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. To date, 922 women-owned businesses had benefited from the programme. Botswana was implementing measures to motivate and encourage participation in technical training and science, technology, engineering and maths education by girls and create more employment opportunities.
In December 2023, Botswana ratified the Maputo Protocol, demonstrating its continuing commitment to women's rights and gender equality. Further, the State had enacted gender sensitive laws, including the bail act (2024); the anti-human trafficking (amendment) act (2024), which aimed to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons; and the disability act (2024), which provided for the establishment of the Disability Coordination Office, the National Disability Council, and an education centre for people with intellectual and multiple disabilities.
Botswana was recognised for being the first country globally to achieve “Golden Tier” status in May 2025, as it had reached stringent targets in reducing annual case rates of new HIV paediatric infections from over 500 to less than 250 per 100,000 live births. The national cervical cancer operational plan (2022–2026) outlined key priorities, including increasing public awareness and scaling up screening, amongst others. Women aged 25 years and above were being screened for various cancers. As of 2024, screening coverage stood at 69 per cent. Further, the country continued to expand access to treatment services for pre-cancer lesions. The treatment rate for loop electrosurgical excision procedures improved to 81.7 per cent in 2024, up from 74 per cent in 2023. Public education was being supported by community-based screening campaigns led by district health teams, with the involvement of traditional and political leaders.
To promote gender mainstreaming in policies and programmes and women’s representation, the Government had developed a comprehensive human rights strategy and national action plan, as well as a commitment to gender parity in the national parliament by 2030. There was a committee in place overseeing the implementation of the human rights strategy and the national action plan.
Women's representation in Botswana's political sphere remained limited. In the National Assembly, women held six out of 69 seats, a decline from previous years. In the Cabinet, women occupied 14 per cent of positions, while women's representation in local government elections stood at 15 per cent, with eight per cent elected councillors, while seven per cent were specially elected. There was also inadequate representation of women, youth, people with disabilities and other vulnerable populations in politics. In this regard, the State recognised that reforms were needed.
A 2012 assessment of laws in relation to the Convention found that articles of the Convention were covered under various pieces of legislation. The Government was considering drafting a gender equality bill that would integrate Convention standards and institutionalise gender mainstreaming across all sectors.
The incidence of gender-based violence in Botswana was alarming. To effectively address this, the State party was creating a preventative, accountable and responsive ecosystem. Commendable work was undertaken at grassroots level by civil society organizations, which equipped trainees with skills and knowledge to manage gender-based violence at household level, and mobilised communities. The Government had committed to establishing one stop centres for integrated gender-based violence services, and was working on an integrated national action plan on gender-based violence.
The public service act recognised sexual harassment as an offence punishable by law. The Government was consulting relevant stakeholders regarding accession to the related International Labour Organization Convention 190.
A landmark 2021 Court of Appeal decision upheld a High Court judgment decriminalising same-sex relations, finding that provisions of the Penal Code prohibiting consensual same-sex relations were unconstitutional.
Botswana participated in peace missions in Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Women peace officers continued to be trained in peace and security.
The Government had actively implemented digitisation in schools, providing free laptops to students and teachers in secondary schools. To date, a total of 52,000 laptops had been issued to teachers and students, and more were scheduled for distribution. Internet access had also increased from 42 per cent of the population in 2019 to 77 per cent in 2024, with the accessibility provided by the SmartBots programme for low-income groups being a significant contributor. The Government sought to ensure that women were not excluded in digitisation efforts.
Botswana was committed to advancing gender equality and the full realisation of women’s rights as enshrined in the Convention. The dialogue provided the State with a valuable opportunity to reflect on progress and remaining gaps, and profit from the Committee’s expertise.
Questions by Committee Experts
BRENDA AKIA, Committee Rapporteur and acting Chairperson for the meeting, congratulated Ms. Chombo on trailblazing and showing women and girls that anything was possible.
ESTHER EGHOBAMIEN-MSHELIA, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Botswana, said that addressing gender stereotypes was a complex but crucial task for supporting State development. The Expert congratulated the State party on ratifying the Maputo Protocol and passing laws that addressed issues such as gender-based violence. However, women and girls continued to face poverty and gender-based violence, while power was unevenly distributed and there was a lack of access for women to labour. The dialogue would support the State party to make progress in these areas.
Another Committee Expert commended progress by the State party, including the policy reform strategy and the adoption of the Maputo Protocol. The Committee welcomed that the Constitution affirmed the equality of men and women before the law. However, it did not address indirect discrimination or multiple forms of discrimination. Would the proposed equality law address both direct and indirect and multiple forms of discrimination? Were there plans to repeal laws that were inconsistent with the Convention and to support women’s literacy?
The Committee welcomed the customary court act, which allowed individuals to transfer cases from customary to ordinary courts. What measures were in place to monitor gender bias and discrimination in customary courts? How would the State party increase mechanisms supporting women’s access to justice? How did it support survivors of gender-based violence to access support and legal remedies? How many cases had been transferred from customary to ordinary courts, and how many women had benefited from legal support?
What measures would the State party take to ensure women’s participation in the development of the national action plan on women, peace and security?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said that when court cases involving gender-based violence were transferred to ordinary courts, police were involved to protect victims. Magistrates had been trained on dealing with such cases and could make orders to incarcerate the accused.
The Government had made efforts to popularise the Convention, translating it into the local language and holding meetings with citizens on its content. It would continue to make efforts in this regard.
The Constitution prohibited all forms of discrimination, but there were issues with the specific forms of discrimination mentioned. The new Government was preparing to review the Constitution. A step towards this aim was the establishment of the Constitutional Court. The gender equality law would help to promote gender equality and mainstream gender issues. The law would give the National Gender Commission more authority to take effective steps in this regard. Complainants who were dissatisfied with the judgements of lower courts could lodge appeals with higher courts. Legal aid was provided to support the appeals process.
The Government was developing one-stop service centres where survivors of gender-based violence could receive holistic services. It welcomed the Committee’s guidance in this regard. Women had equal opportunity to participate in peace and security activities. The Ministry of Youth and Gender Affairs had a strong relationship with traditional leaders and was working with them on preventing gender-based violence and ensuring that customary laws and practices were not prejudicial to women.
Questions by Committee Experts
ESTHER EGHOBAMIEN-MSHELIA, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Botswana, welcomed training for justice administrators. How did the State party ensure the application of this training? Were women involved in the designing of national and local security architecture?
Ms. Eghobamien-Mshelia commended efforts to enhance the national policy on gender development and the gender responsive financial management programme. What substantive results had these achieved? What efforts had been made to promote socio-economic opportunities for women? How was the State party strengthening and evaluating the impact of gender policies and campaigns? How were women’s perspectives incorporated in the gender strategy for the agricultural sector, climate policies, and efforts to mainstream gender in the justice system? What funds had been provided to non-governmental organizations to ensure their active participation in gender equality policies?
How would the State party work to strengthen the national human rights institution’s effectiveness and support its accreditation with the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions? How was women’s access to justice enhanced through the Ombudsperson’s complaints mechanism and how many complaints from women had been received?
Another Committee Expert said the Committee had previously called on the State party to adopt temporary special measures in areas such as women’s representation in public and private life and access to services. What steps had been taken toward improving the representation of women in sectors such as education, health and the judiciary? Was the State party considering integrating temporary special measures into the gender equality bill? Did the poverty eradication programme contain temporary special measures that targeted women?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said training with traditional leaders included guidelines on implementation. The State party took this training seriously and was seeing signs that it was bearing fruit.
A national committee had been established that was mandated to comprehensively implement the women, peace and security agenda.
The National Gender Commission was established in 2016. It was mandated to promote the inclusion of marginalised groups in national development. The gender equality bill sought to increase the mandate of the Commission, giving it the power to address wide gender issues, including women’s representation in politics and economic empowerment. The Commission had earlier this year convened a panel with civil society on gender-based violence.
In 2021, Botswana increased the mandate of the Ombudsperson’s Office to allow it to deal with human rights issues, and implemented measures to prevent interference in the Ombudsperson’s activities. The Ombudsperson cooperated with civil society in promoting human rights. There were proposals to address its lack of compliance with the Paris Principles. There were no fees for submitting complaints to the Ombudsperson and Botswana’s legal aid institution was assisting women to submit complaints.
The national gender machinery received an increased budget in 2024. It provided targeted investments in programmes addressing gender-based violence, including by building the capacity of front-line responders to gender-based violence and increasing support to victims’ shelters. The machinery had also allocated funds to the National Gender Commission to continue its work. The Government was reviewing its national policy on gender development and sought to ensure that all ministries invested in promoting this policy. It was also devoting resources to supporting non-governmental organizations working on women’s rights.
The Government had put in place programmes that aimed to lift women out of poverty, including a programme supporting women’s participation in the agricultural sector. The Government participated in the Rural Development Council, which addressed issues such as the impacts of climate change on women.
Questions by Committee Experts
ESTHER EGHOBAMIEN-MSHELIA, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Botswana, asked if there was a timeline envisioned for accreditation of the national human rights institution.
Another Committee Expert congratulated Ms. Chombo on being the youngest female minister in Africa. Botswana’s establishment of specialised courts to expedite assessment of gender-based violence cases and the Interministerial Committee on Gender-Based Violence was commendable. Botswana had one of the highest rape rates globally and women who reported violence risked being blamed or shamed. What measures were in place to strengthen the enforcement of the gender-based violence act? Were officials adequately trained to support the implementation of the act?
Survivors of gender-based violence continued to face limited access to shelters and chronic underfunding of services. Data on actual convictions for gender-based violence remained unavailable. Many cases were withdrawn due to the lack of trust in the justice system. When would the national action plan on gender-based violence be finalised? What plans were in place to expand programmes combatting gender-based violence?
The Committee was concerned about the prevalence of cybercrimes. Enforcement of the cybercrimes act remained limited; were there plans to expand these efforts? The Committee welcomed programmes aiming to challenge gender norms. How did the State party engage religious leaders, men and boys regarding gender stereotypes?
BRENDA AKIA, Committee Rapporteur and acting Chairperson for the meeting, welcomed efforts to address trafficking in persons, including the anti-human trafficking act and the anti-human trafficking national action plan and operation framework. A comprehensive study on the extent and forms of trafficking had not been carried out. How was the State party working to secure funding for such a study? Could it share data on court cases involving trafficking and their results, and the number of victims of trafficking? What steps had been taken to protect women and girls from cyber-trafficking and romance scams? Rural women were exploited in prostitution. What steps had been taken to protect all women and girls from exploitation in prostitution?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the Ombudsperson’s Office planned to apply for accreditation with the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions in the 2025 cycle.
The State took a multi-sectoral approach to addressing gender-based violence. The gender equality act sought to address loopholes in legislation on gender-based violence, and a revision of the domestic violence act was also being considered. From 2019 to 2024, funding for shelters for victims had increased three-fold. The National Gender Commission included representatives from faith-based communities, who met with religious groups to address norms that perpetuated violence. The State had trained members of the police and prison service on gender-based violence issues.
The anti-trafficking act addressed accountability, ensuring that both individuals and corporations were held liable. Penalties for trafficking had been increased and were sufficiently stringent. The use of drugs to facilitate trafficking carried a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. The Government was implementing the national action plan on human trafficking, which had made significant achievements in prevention and prosecution through nationwide campaigns on the dangers of trafficking.
Referral systems had been activated in key districts, making early identification of trafficking victims possible. Since 2023, more than 1,100 police officers had received training on trafficking and victim-centred approaches. International partnerships had strengthened this capacity building. A mid-term review of the outcomes of the plan would be conducted this year. Only three victims of trafficking had been identified, and they had all been referred for support.
There were gaps in the implementation of legislation on cybercrime. The President had set as a priority innovation in technology as a means of addressing such crime. A memorandum of understanding had been formed with a private sector organization to combat cybercrime, and the police had also been provided with support to fight such crime. The State party continued to empower girls, ensuring that education was accessible to all and discouraging risky behaviours.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert welcomed the State party’s commitment to strengthen measures addressing gender-based violence. Was it considering establishing a centralised data collection system on gender-based violence? How was the State party engaging men and boys on gender norms?
ESTHER EGHOBAMIEN-MSHELIA, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Botswana, asked if the State party had a working arrangement with the film industry on addressing gender-based violence and stigma related to reporting.
BRENDA AKIA, Committee Rapporteur and acting Chairperson for the meeting, asked how the State party ensured that it did not violate the principle of non-refoulement when returning victims of trafficking.
Another Committee Expert said women’s representation in political bodies in Botswana remained low and the electoral system had structural challenges. There were no gender quotas for electoral lists. Was the State party considering such quotas and other measures for promoting women’s representation? What were the challenges in this regard?
Patriarchal and cultural norms, media underrepresentation, violence and the lack of services supporting work-life balance were barriers to women’s participation in political leadership. How was the State party addressing these issues and promoting women’s representation? Were there campaigns that aimed to raise the awareness of politicians, traditional leaders and the public on the importance of women’s participation in decision-making? Were there plans to develop permanent support structures for women in public decision-making? There were no policies on promoting women’s representation in diplomatic service and international fora. Were such policies being considered?
One Committee Expert commended Botswana for its successful efforts to ensure birth registration. In urban areas, up to 98 per cent of newborn babies were registered. What measures were in place to promote birth registration in rural areas? Legal rules regarding citizenship remained discriminatory for women and foreigners. Did the State party intend to revise its laws to ensure that Botswanan women could transfer their citizenship on an equal level to men, and that foreigners could access Botswanan citizenship?
The State placed individuals recognised as refugees in refugee camps or centres for illegal immigrants. There was a considerable number of children in both, where conditions were harsh, and there were no dedicated centres for girls. Refugees and asylum seekers did not have the right to a work permit and were at a high risk of trafficking. How did the State party ensure that the detention of refugees and asylum seekers was used only as a last resort? Would the State party eliminate the practice of detaining girls with adults and grant refugees work permits?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the Ministry for Youth and Gender was actively engaging with men and boys. Members of parliament were being trained on gender sensitive laws and gender-based violence. A programme had been launched that was educating men who had been convicted of gender-based violence.
The State had started engaging with the creative sector and the film industry on the issue of gender-based violence, which had led to the creation of television series and documentaries on the issue. Police programmes were also raising awareness of gender-based violence. The Government planned to undertake a study on the economic cost of gender-based violence in the country. It was developing a data management system on gender-based violence in partnership with the police, which would be rolled out as part of the national development plan.
The State party respected the principle of non-refoulement and cooperated with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to prevent refoulement.
In the 1992 Unity Dow case, the High Court had ruled that the country’s citizenship law was discriminatory as it did not allow women to pass on their citizenship on an equal basis with men. Its judgement allowed women to pass their citizenship to their children.
Although Botswana had had a high number of women in diplomacy, this number had dropped in recent years. The State was working to increase the number of women in leadership positions in diplomacy.
There were pockets in remote areas where births outside of health centres were not registered. Unregistered children were registered as soon as they entered school. The Ministry of Health was engaging with the public on the importance of birth registration.
The Minister of Justice had last month released all refugees held at the centre for illegal immigrants and issued a public apology for their treatment.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert expressed surprise at the decrease in female representation in Parliament. How was the State party planning to increase their representation?
Another Committee Expert commended the State party for implementing educational reforms in legislation and policies promoting early childhood learning in indigenous and mother tongues, as well as girls’ inclusion in science, technology, engineering and maths education. The State had policies preventing bullying and promoting online protection of children, as well as supporting young mothers to return to education.
What was the timeline for prohibiting corporal punishment? How were girls encouraged to study non-traditional subjects? How many out-of-school girls had been readmitted into education in the past five years? What policies had been implemented to address sexual harassment in schools? How was the State party working to make schools more accessible for indigenous and rural populations, as well as including indigenous topics in the curriculum? How were girls affected by child marriage supported to complete their education?
One Committee Expert asked if the State party considered whether the educational centre that had been set up for persons with disabilities was a form of segregation. Botswana needed to support inclusive education for girls with disabilities.
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said there was a procedure in place that facilitated granting of citizenship by marriage. Foreign spouses could obtain citizenship after living in the country for five years. Male and female foreign spouses were treated in the same way.
A study had been conducted on promoting women’s political representation, and capacity building towards this had also been carried out. The State party noted the Committee’s concerns; there was a need for intervention. Women’s political representation needed to be addressed in the revised Constitution.
The Government was revising the legislative framework governing corporal punishment and efforts were being made to suspend its use. The draft education and training bill explicitly prohibited corporal punishment in schools. The Government was consulting extensively on the issue of corporal punishment with parents, teachers and the community. The deadline for the submission of this bill was November of this year.
Comprehensive sexual health education had been incorporated in the national curriculum. The readmission policy for teenage mothers supported them to return to school after childbirth, offering them counselling and reintegration support. Measures were implemented to create safe and inclusive environments for girls in all schools. Financial support was provided to vulnerable girls that covered their tuition and transport fees. The national gender and development policy sought to mainstream gender equality in the education system, eliminate gender-based violence in schools, and support girls in science, technology, engineering and maths education.
Botswana was promoting inclusive education. The education programme was geared to empowering girls with disabilities, supporting their education through assistive devices and support for tuition fees and transport costs. Schools implemented inclusive education, but students with severe disabilities were supported in specialised facilities.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert commended the State party for ensuring that the employment act protected from terminations based on marital status or gender. It was welcome that there were no restrictions on women’s employment in industrial sectors. Women and girls had limited opportunities for employment, however, and there was a large gender pay gap. There was no law to address sexual harassment in employment, nor a law guaranteeing equal pay for work of equal value. Women were disproportionately represented in the informal sector, and their unpaid care work was not sufficiently recognised.
How would the State party ensure that all women workers could access maternity leave? Would it increase paid parental leave? Would the State party prohibit sex-based discrimination in hiring, training and workplaces? How many women with disabilities had been employed in public and private sectors? What measures were in place to ensure access to employment for women with disabilities?
Another Committee Expert commended progress made in expanding access to primary health care. The State party had implemented programmes to reduce the maternal and neonatal mortality rate. The maternal mortality rate was more than double the average for upper- and middle-income countries. There was also a lack of access to safe abortion services. What measures were in place to improve access to quality healthcare services?
How was the State party providing information on HIV and contraception in remote communities? What progress had been made in reviewing the Criminal Code to decriminalise abortion? The Committee was concerned that women and girls continued to be disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. What prevention measures had been developed that targeted women and girls? How did the State party provide youth-friendly sexual health education and family planning services?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the employment act did not cover sexual harassment in the workplace, but a revised employment and labour relations bill would be presented in Parliament in July. It addressed issues such as discrimination based on maternity and workplace sexual harassment. The public service act also addressed sexual harassment and protection of victims of gender-based violence. The Government was working to improve social security and welfare schemes.
The Ministry of Education was providing sexual and reproductive health education, empowering young people to assert themselves. Boys were being taught about gender-based violence and how to treat girls with dignity. Youth-friendly reproductive health services were provided in schools. Numerous out-of-school sexual and reproductive health programmes were being run by non-governmental organizations, reaching remote areas.
Abortion remained illegal in Botswana; it was only allowed up to 16 weeks of pregnancy when there had been a rape or when the mother’s life was in danger. This was a difficult issue that would be addressed in the forthcoming review of the Constitution.
The public health system responded effectively to HIV/AIDS. Drugs were provided to at-risk persons, including foreigners, free of charge.
The decent work programme targeted both the formal and informal sectors. It envisioned making maternity leave available to workers in both sectors. The Government had conducted workshops on gender mainstreaming in labour. There were more than 1,200 women employed in the mining sector. To increase women’s participation in mining, the Government was promoting gender-responsive procurement in the sector. Ratification of International Labour Organization Convention 190 would speed up the State’s response to workplace sexual harassment.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert welcomed the employment and labour relations bill, and expressed hope that it would include provisions prohibiting discrimination against women with disabilities in terms of employment and introducing paid paternal leave.
ESTHER EGHOBAMIEN-MSHELIA, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Botswana, asked about the efficacy of strategies to deal with unwanted pregnancies among girls. The rate of unwanted pregnancies was quite high and was rising, and 18 per cent of females dropped out of school. How would the State party review these strategies?
The State party’s efforts to eliminate gender gaps in agriculture were commendable, including measures to expand access to resources for rural women and to digitise the agricultural sector. Access to credit and technology for rural women remained unequal, however. Women’s participation in the mining sector was at around eight per cent, and the diamond mining sector was plagued with corruption. Women faced limited access to business networks. How was the State party promoting women’s access to emerging business opportunities?
How was the State party increasing transparency in defence spending? How was it ensuring equal access for women, particularly marginalised women, to social security? What had been the impact of the programme raising women’s awareness of land rights? How would the State party systematically collect data on women’s access to loans and financing? How would the State party guide private sector investments to support women? What percentage of Government investment in sports was devoted to women’s sports, and how was the Government supporting women’s participation in leadership of sporting activities?
Another Committee Expert asked whether the review of the Criminal Code regarding the criminalisation of abortion was underway. The lack of access to legal abortions led women and girls to seek out unsafe black-market abortions. Did the State party have national clinical guidelines on safe abortions? What medicines were used for practicing abortions?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said parent-child communication programmes and the “Connect with Respect” programme on gender-based violence addressed the issue of unintended pregnancies, and the Government worked closely with non-governmental organizations on this topic.
Women were not discriminated against in the provision of land. As of 2022, around 45 per cent of agricultural land was owned by women. The Ministry of Agriculture had proactively worked to close gender gaps. It had made progress in building public awareness of climate-smart agriculture and in closing gender gaps in the sector. The “EntrepenHer” programme also included measures promoting climate-smart agriculture.
Questions by Committee Experts
BRENDA AKIA, Committee Rapporteur and acting Chairperson for the meeting, asked about steps being taken to detect and respond to illicit financial flows.
A Committee Expert said Botswana’s economy was largely dependent on natural resources, principally diamonds, but there was uneven distribution of profits gained from these resources, largely benefitting men. Climate change events such as droughts affected the livelihoods of rural peoples. How was the State party integrating a gender sensitive response to climate change? What data was the State party collecting on rural women’s livelihoods?
How was the State party supporting asylum seeking women and girls? When would the State party withdraw its reservation to the 1951 Refugee Convention?
How did the State party support indigenous peoples’ access to public services, electricity and water? How did it ensure the access of vulnerable women to education and health services? Would the State party support the decriminalisation of homosexuality? What activities had been undertaken in support of women and girls with disabilities?
Another Committee Expert said that the impending Constitutional review was critical to enhancing equality under law. How many domestic court cases had cited the Convention? How did the State party ensure the Basarwa people’s rights to ancestral land?
Family laws did not cover matters of divorce and debt, and women were not awarded equal inheritance under State law. When would these family laws be revised? Botswana had committed to eliminating early, child and forced marriage by 2030; how much progress had been made in this regard? How would the State party bring a gender perspective to efforts to revise the criminal justice system?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said non-governmental organizations had launched campaigns on climate adaptation, which aimed to include women in the development of adaptation measures. Botswana had integrated gender issues in the 2021 climate policy, which promoted the empowerment of communities to participate in the implementation of climate response measures. The policy included actions to protect women from the effects of land degradation. The Government had conducted a study into the impact of drought on rural livelihoods and had provided interventions to affected women.
The State party had set up a commission that was assessing issues faced by indigenous peoples and developing recommendations for addressing them. It was looking into providing restitution to the Basarwa people who had been forcefully removed from their land.
Permits had been provided to refugees that allowed them to seek livelihoods.
There was no discrimination in the funding of women’s sport. A raft of laws was introduced to deal with illicit financial flows, and the financial agency was working to address this issue.
Concluding Remarks
LESEGO CHOMBO, Minister of Youth and Gender Affairs of Botswana and head of the delegation, said that she was very happy to have spent an intense day with the Committee. The issues that had been discussed affected real people. The Committee’s insights would continue to guide national efforts to eliminate discrimination against women. Its work was key in holding the State accountable for driving real progress. Botswana was committed to continuing its collaboration with the Committee.
The State was aware of the challenges before it, including regarding the disaggregation of data. It would strive to enhance the full enjoyment of the fundamental rights of women and girls in Botswana. Ms. Combo expressed gratitude to all those who had contributed to the dialogue, including civil society organizations, which the Government needed to support more. She also thanked all female leaders in Botswana for their contributions and the President of Botswana for his commitment to the rights of women and girls. Botswana would strive to implement the Committee’s recommendations.
BRENDA AKIA, Committee Rapporteur and acting Chairperson for the meeting, said that Ms. Chombo had inspired the Committee. The Committee thanked the delegation for its engagement in the dialogue and commended the State party’s efforts to implement the Convention. It encouraged the State to make further efforts to implement its recommendations for the benefit of all women and girls in Botswana. The Committee looked forward to receiving the State party’s next periodic report.
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CEDAW25.020E