Vows to Tackle GBV and Youth Unemployment
The Minister of Youth and Gender Affairs, Honourable Lesego Chombo, on Monday presented sweeping budget proposals totalling over P691 million to the Committee of Supply, outlining an ambitious agenda anchored on combating gender-based violence, empowering women economically, and transforming opportunities for Botswana’s youth.
Addressing the Committee under Organisation 2200, Minister Chombo requested P686,649,970.00 for recurrent expenditure and P5,000,000 for development purposes for the 2026/2027 financial year, a budget she described as strategically aligned with the recently approved Twelfth National Development Plan.
A Ministry Finding Its Footing Under Austerity
The Minister opened by accounting for the current year’s performance, revealing that the Ministry had spent only P353,587,695, representing exactly 50% of its approved recurrent budget of P707,656,660 as at March 20, 2026. Development budget utilisation stood at P379,980 out of P10,527,739, a figure of 3.6% that drew questions from the floor but which the Minister contextualised with important nuance.
Rather than deflect, Minister Chombo addressed the figures squarely. “For the most part, the reason for the low recurrent budget expenditure is because of the implementation of the austerity measures that were instituted by the Government last year in July,” she told the Committee.
The Development Budget: A Deliberate Decision, Not a Failure
The 3.6% development budget utilisation rate drew attention from opposition members during proceedings, but the figure requires careful contextualisation to be properly understood.
The entire development budget of P10,527,739 was specifically ring-fenced for a single purpose, the development of IT infrastructure. It was not a broad development kitty available for community projects or programme delivery. Faced with more pressing priorities on the ground, the Ministry made a conscious decision not to exhaust the allocation on IT expenditure alone, a call that reflects considered fiscal judgement rather than institutional paralysis.
Crucially, the Ministry did not stand still on development delivery. Youth centres were refurbished and upgraded during the year, including the centre in Ghanzi, and new centres were progressed in areas such as Molepolole. These were achieved not through government budget lines but through partnerships with private sector entities who co-funded and co-delivered the work. In effect, the Ministry secured development outcomes for communities at no additional cost to the public purse.
When an opposition member raised the low utilisation figure during Committee proceedings, the Minister responded by setting out this broader context, making clear that the absence of spending on one budget line did not mean an absence of achievement. The response appeared to satisfy the query, though the exchange underscored the importance of transparent reporting on how partnership-funded delivery is tracked and communicated alongside official budget figures.
The approach raises a broader question worth monitoring in the year ahead, namely whether the Ministry will develop a more formal framework for reporting private sector co-investment alongside its budget execution figures, so that the full picture of its development footprint is visible to Parliament and the public.
The Gender-Based Violence Crisis: Numbers That Cannot Be Ignored
Perhaps the most sobering section of the Minister’s submission was her unflinching presentation of GBV statistics, figures that paint a disturbing picture of violence in Botswana’s homes and communities.
Citing the 2018 National Relationship Study, Minister Chombo revealed that 37% of women and 21% of men reported having suffered some form of violence at least once in their lifetime.
More recent data from the Botswana Police Service is equally alarming. In 2024 alone, police recorded 31,975 cases related to offences against the person. Of these, 10,747 were directly linked to Gender-Based Violence, encompassing murder, rape, defilement of children under 18, and violence against children, including killings by parents.
“These trends reported by the Botswana Police Service are a sobering reminder that violence against women and girls continues to undermine the fabric of our community,” the Minister said, her words underscoring the urgency of legislative action.
In direct response to the crisis, Cabinet has approved the drafting of dedicated Gender-Based Violence legislation, a development the Minister described as transformative. Drafting instructions were submitted to the Attorney General’s Chambers in February 2026, following the completion of preliminary stakeholder consultations.
The envisaged law, the Minister explained, “will be comprehensive, strengthening the existing legal provisions and ushering in an inclusive, preventative, survivor-centred and multi-sectoral approach.”
Complementing the legislation is the planned establishment of One-Stop Service Centres for GBV, where victims can access integrated medical, legal, counselling and psychosocial support under one roof, a decisive move away from the fragmented system that has historically forced survivors to navigate multiple institutions alone.
Empowering Women Economically: The EntreprenHER Agenda
Minister Chombo was emphatic that economic empowerment and GBV prevention are inseparable. “We recognise that women’s economic empowerment is a critical shield against vulnerability,” she told the Committee, drawing a direct line between financial dependence and susceptibility to abuse.
To accelerate women’s economic participation, the Ministry has launched the EntreprenHER Programme, anchored by a landmark Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Botswana and Stanbic Bank. The partnership is designed to dismantle financial barriers and provide dedicated business development support for women-owned enterprises.
The Gender Affairs Department has been allocated P100,324,880, with P25,325,870, the department’s single largest line item, set aside for gender mainstreaming activities. Women’s voluntary organisations will receive P16,050,000, while the Annual National Women’s Exposition and GBV-related votes will receive P5,000,000 and P4,000,000 respectively.
Notably, the Ministry also announced the formal incorporation of men’s programming into its mandate, acknowledging “an imbalance in programming between women and men.” While dedicated personnel and budget provisions were not available in the current year, the Minister confirmed these would be provided in 2026/2027.
Rebuilding Youth: From the YDF to Youth Centres
On the youth front, the Department of Youth Affairs commands the lion’s share of the Ministry’s recurrent budget at P458,237,420, reflecting the scale and complexity of youth programming across the country.
The biggest single expenditure within this allocation is P154,200,000 directed at allowances for Tirelo Sechaba participants, underscoring the programme’s reach as a national service initiative. A further P120,600,000 is requested for YDF.
On the Youth Development Fund, Minister Chombo acknowledged persistent challenges young entrepreneurs face in accessing startup capital and sustaining businesses. “The Ministry is in the process of remodelling the Youth Development Fund to make it sustainable and efficient,” she said, adding that the revamped programme will improve “financial and operational sustainability, automation, strengthen governance and accountability” while delivering mentorship and market access support.
The Ministry is also reviewing the Botswana National Service Programme (BNSP) to boost employability, upskilling, and private sector involvement.
Youth centres received special attention in the presentation. The Minister reported that private sector partnerships had been instrumental in delivering refurbishments and new facilities during a year when government capital budgets were constrained by austerity. She described youth centres as “all-inclusive hubs where young people can gather, learn, innovate, and build sustainable networks that meaningfully contribute to national development.”
The Botswana National Youth Council (BNYC) continues as the Ministry’s primary delivery arm, providing skills training, health and life-skills education, leadership development, civic engagement, and community spaces for young people.
Strategic Partnerships: Doing More With Less
The Ministry’s heavy reliance on external partnerships during a year of austerity was a recurring theme throughout the presentation. Minister Chombo extended gratitude to the UN Family, the European Union, the United States Government, Business Botswana, Lucara Botswana, De Beers, and the Botswana Exporters and Manufacturing Association (BEMA), as well as civil society organisations.
These relationships, spanning policy development, programme delivery, and business mentorship, appear to have been particularly critical in bridging the gap left by constrained government budgets. The youth centre refurbishments delivered through private co-funding are perhaps the clearest illustration of how strategic partnerships can substitute for, or significantly augment, state resourcing in lean fiscal years.
Staffing: A Ministry Still Under-Resourced
Minister Chombo welcomed the recent allocation of nineteen District Coordinator positions to head district offices across the country, saying it “will improve service delivery and ensure that the needs of the people are met.” However, she did not shy away from calling for more. “Let me further express my trust that proper resourcing of this Ministry through creation of more positions by DPSM will be a priority to realise the desired impact on the youth, women and other vulnerable groups,” she stated pointedly.
The Bottom Line
In closing, Minister Chombo moved for the approval of P686,649,970 under the Recurrent Budget and P5,000,000 under the Development Budget, the latter earmarked for the continuation of the IT Infrastructure development project, as part of the Appropriation (2026/2027) Bill.
The total ask of just over P691.6 million reflects a Ministry that has learned to stretch its reach beyond its budget lines through partnerships, while pressing Government for the human and financial resources it believes are essential to fulfil a mandate that sits at the intersection of some of Botswana’s most urgent social challenges.