16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM

WHAT IS THE 16 DAYS ACTIVISM?

• It is a WORLDWIDE Campaign to OPPOSE VIOLENCE against WOMEN and CHILDREN
• It aims to raise awareness of the NEGATIVE impact that VIOLENCE and ABUSE have on WOMEN and CHILDREN and to RID society of ABUSE PERMANENTLY

WHEN DOES THE CAMPAIGN TAKE PLACE?

• The 16 Days of Activism Campaign is held from 25 November to 10 December every year
• However, the success of this campaign rests on our daily individual and collective actions to safeguard our society against this cycle of abuse

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CAUSES OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN?

It stems from the low status of women in the home and in society

It happens when men abuse POWER and positions of authority in order to CONTROL women and children

WHAT IS ABUSE?

Any form of behavior that causes:

• fear
• bodily harm
• a person to do things against their will

 
EXAMPLES OF ABUSE 


 

DO YOU KNOW...

That Parliament has passed laws to protect the rights of individuals against abuse?

THE ROLE OF PARLIAMENT

The role of Parliament includes the promotion of human dignity, equality, non-racialism, non-sexism and the supremacy of the Constitution. Parliament upholds citizens’ human rights and oversees the implementation of constitutional imperatives. This includes, but is not limited to, passing of legislation that prevents or prohibits unfair discrimination to people based on race and gender.

The vision of Parliament confirms Parliament as the institution that transforms the entire society to be based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights, which include women’s and children’s rights. With regard to this, Parliament has already made strides in passing legislation aimed at ending this scourge in society.

DON'T BE A VICTIM!

• BREAK THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE
• BREAK THE SILENCE
• KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
• ACT AGAINST ABUSE
• DO NOT LOOK AWAY!

KEY DATES TO OBSERVE IN THIS PERIOD:

• 25 November: International Day of No Violence Against Women
• 29 November: International Women Human Rights Defenders Day
• 1 December: World Aids Day
• 3 December: International Day for the Disabled
• 10 December: International Human Rights Day

Member of Parliament of Mahalapye responds to the national state address calling for amendment of constitution to recognize intersex persons

Rainbow Identity Association (RIA) commends the unwavering of the assistant minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Botlhogile Tshireletso. Mma Tshireletso has over the years come out in favour of the rights of the minority groups’ community.

The director of RIA (an association that advocates for the human rights of people who identifies as transgender and / intersex) has been lobbying Member of Parliament to ensure the rights of transgender and intersex persons are recognized and respected in the constitution of Botswana.

 On the 5^th of October this year Mr. Skipper Mogapi director of Rainbow Identity Association (an organization that advocates for the human rights of intersex and transgender persons) met with Minister Tshireletso to lobby for the protection and acceptance of Intersex persons in Botswana and to assess their gender marker in the national identity card (omang). In their meeting Mr. Mogapi shared with the minister the organization’s intersex policy brief with the aim to explain to her about inter sex and why it is important for them to have a different gender marker apart from M (male) and F (female).

The organization developed a policy brief stating challenges faced by the intersex community such as

Legal recognition: At birth a birth certificate is issued, as a form of recognition and documentation. This is a general global practice. In Botswana, the national identity card; Omang, educational documents, drivers’s license are among the struggle areas for intersex persons, as they bear only female and male gender binaries. Therefore, it is a site for discrimination and inequality, as intersex persons struggle to have an appropriate gender allocated for them. The Births and Registration Act.  However, the same act allows for change of gender descriptor, on the legal document the procedure is only know by those working in the office of Omang and it is a ‘discretionary’ privilege.

Constitution, Bill of rights: right to equality, non-discrimination, equal protection of the law. In many cases, the Courts have ordered that the Constitution must be interpreted broadly and widely, to protect human rights. Although dignity is not enshrined in the Constitution, the case of Dow V Attorney General case, dealt with constitutional issues of equality and non-discrimination. Hence, precedents can be used to accelerate the rights of intersex persons in Botswana. To deny one legal recognition and the right to in their own gender, is discriminatory.

On yesterday’s news (November 14, 2017) it was reported that Minister Tshireletso brought the motion forward in parliament before the president in the national state address for the protection of the intersex persons. According to the 1800hrs and 1900hrs news on RB1 and RB2 when speaking in parliament the minister said this is because intersex persons have rights and they are neither male nor female and are often discriminated by the society because of their gender marker and of being different from people of other sexes (male or female)

As the president was conducting the national state address,in her response Mma Tshireletso said “It is time to review the constitution in order to protect those who are intersex, as they are not male or female by birth. These people form part of the community and they are faced with discrimination and stigma on their daily basis”.

Rainbow Identity Association calls upon other members of parliament to amplify the voices in support of human rights for intersex persons especially the minister of health and the minister of gender labor and social development.

For more information contact

Urbenia Kgware

Media Officer

3905493

Email

Skipper Mogapi

Director

3905493/72595878

BOBELA SUPPORT GROUPS TRADITIONAL GAMES

Bobela  support group which is based in Kanye will be having traditional games on the 28^th of October 2017 at Montshiwa grounds opposite Southern District Council. The games will be open to the general public. The support group are doing this as a way of launching their support group. The event will be sponsered by Rainbow Identity Association (RIA) and BONELA. The games will start off at 10 am, how ever registration for the games will be from 830 am to 930 am. Registration is P5.00 per game for individual played games and P10.00 per game for team played games. There will be four categories of these traditional games which are: Ball games (suna baby, 3 tin, mmadithini, ola 1 and maroundas), Hopp games (scotch,koi,safe), Board games (mmele, morabaraba,diketo,chama), Race games (sack race, egg race). From these categories some games are team played and some are individually payed,however sack race is spercifically played by couples to try and promote communication among partners. On this day we will also have a moment of silence as a commemoration for intersex day.

Kanye couselor or Hon Kennedy Otlaadisa will be attending the games as the guest of the day and to encourage the youth of Kanye on more of such events to bring unity and togetherness of their communities. Guest speaker will be Mr Skipper Mogapi RIA director. There will be entertainment and food will be available at an affordable price.

A LANDMARK VICTORY FOR THE TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY IN BOTSWANA

Advocating for the rights for the Transgender people has been a challenge in every possible way, transmen and transwomen have felt discriminated by the communities they live in because of how they have been labeled and addressed due to the sex they were assigned at birth. The gender marker has however been a more of a challenge because they had to be discriminated by people who don’t even know them including the system. By one of the many transgender people having won a case of having their gender marker changed from male to fee male is not only a victory to the applicant but to other transgender people because now they can step out of their closets and make the same application. It is not a guarantee that all of them will meet the same fate but at least there is hope. Maybe there is also hope in our justice system for the trans community after all. Rainbow identity association still has a long way by insuring that transgender people have their gender marks changes without the long process of court cases and exposure of the transgender [people to the media and public because they too have the right to privacy and to feel safe.

On Friday 29^th September 2017 a transman won a case in which he had applied for his gender marker to be changed on his national identity card from female to male.

“In a landmark victory for the transgender community, Justice Nthomiwa of Lobatse High Court this morning ordered that a transman's gender marker be changed from female to male” Says Mmegi Online Newspaper. The online newspaper goes on to say that though assigned the female gender at birth, the applicant, (who cannot be named as the Court has previously issued an order that the applicant's identity remain confidential) identifies as a man. The Court ruled that refusal to change the applicant's gender marker was unreasonable and violated the applicant's rights to dignity, privacy, freedom of expression, equal protection of the law, freedom from discrimination and freedom from inhumane and degrading treatment. Therefore, government has been ordered to change the gender marker on the applicant's Omang from female to male. Nthomiwa's ruling is likely to set precedent for transwoman, Ricki Kgositau, who also wants her gender marker changed.Her case will be heard in December before Judge Dambe.

We as Rainbow Identity Association hope for the same outcome for Miss Kgositau and wish her all the best, that is to say we support her all the way.

For more information on transgender and intersex issues and in helping us advocate for their right and well being please contact us at +267 3905493, or visit our Facebook page Rainbow Identity.