Despite progress for many women in Botswana, access to justice remains a challenge, a new ICJ report says.
Launched today, Women’s Access to Justice in Botswana: Identifying the Obstacles and Need for Change, assesses some of the challenges faced by women in Botswana when seeking justice and legal protection for human rights abuses and other wrongful conduct.
It underlines that a range of practical barriers and legal impediments continue to combine to undermine the ability of women to seek legal redress for such abuses.
“Although Botswana has implemented a number of important measures to advance gender equality, for many women justice remains an abstract ideal rather than a practical reality,” said Leah Hoctor ICJ Senior Legal Advisor on Women’s Human Rights. “Over the coming years further concerted action is needed.”
The report outlines a series of effective and meaningful steps that Botswana can take to ensure laws and procedures support and advance women’s ability to assert their rights.
“This report provides a wide range of stakeholders, including government actors, the judiciary, civil society representatives and the legal profession with important guidance as to the action now necessary,” said Arnold Tsunga, Director of the ICJ’s Africa Programme.
Contact:
Leah Hoctor: leah.hoctor(a)icj.org
Arnold Tsunga: arnold.tsunga(a)icj.org
ICJ Women’s Access to Botswana-publications-2013 (download in pdf)