Gender equality benefits both men, women

• Published date: 19 October 2014
• Publication title: Botswana Daily News

Director of Men for Health and Gender Justice Organisation, Mr Thatayotlhe Molefe says ending violence against women and achieving gender equality are goals that originated within the women's movement.

Speaking at a dialogue meeting with media in Gaborone recently, Mr Molefe said many people still thought of these goals as 'women's issues' rather than parts of much broader concerns about human rights and social justice.

Therefore, Mr Molefe said the misconception kept men and boys out of the spotlight and placed the burden of responsibility on women and girls, at the same time diverting attention away from analysing the roots of violence and the role of maintaining an unequal power balance between men and women, hence patriarchy is always leading.

He noted that men's violence against women had reached epidemic proportions in Botswana, between a quarter and two thirds of women in different studies reports having experienced physical or sexual intimate partner violence.

However, he said...