19th March 2026
Botswana has taken important legislative steps, including strong penalties for sexual offences and expanding civil protections under the Domestic Violence Act. However, significant legal and implementation gaps continue to undermine protection for women and girls. Strengthening enforcement, closing legal loopholes, and improving survivor-centred services remain urgent priorities.
Key recommendations:
- Criminalise marital rape to ensure full protection for women within marriage and intimate partnerships.
- Strengthen the Domestic Violence Act by introducing criminal sanctions and ensuring consistent enforcement of protection orders.
- Address institutional and resource gaps by expanding specialised GBV courts, increasing funding for police, shelters, and psychosocial support.
- Improve community reporting mechanisms by tackling stigma, survivor-blaming attitudes, and low trust in authorities.
- Enhance training for law enforcement and justice actors to improve survivor-centred responses and reduce secondary victimisation.
Increase outreach and awareness campaigns to educate communities on GBV laws, rights, and available support services.