Battling Digital Abuse Plaguing Botswana Women
Almost one in two women in Botswana is caught in the grip of digital violence, a troubling crisis rapidly unfolding across the country’s online spaces. A recent study reveals that while Botswana races ahead with its digital transformation, its cyber-safety systems can’t keep pace to protect women and girls. These findings come as Parliament steps up efforts to tackle what global experts now call one of the fastest-growing forms of gender-based violence worldwide.
According to a baseline study by Gender Links Botswana, 46% of women surveyed have experienced online violence. This alarming figure mirrors global trends highlighted by the World Health Organization and UN Women, who warn that digital abuse has become a formidable obstacle to women’s freedom, participation, and wellbeing (UN Women, 2023; WHO, 2022). Speaking at the launch of the 16 Days of Activism, Hon. Helen P. Manyaneng, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Caucus on Women, urged the nation to recognize this “growing threat” posed by technology-enabled harm. She stressed, “Digital violence is not a new problem; it is simply gender-based violence in a new space.”
The study paints a stark picture: Botswana’s wave of online hostility echoes a global pattern identified by the International Telecommunication Union (2022), which found that women are 27% more likely than men to face severe cyber-harassment. Within Botswana, cyberstalking accounts for nearly half (46%) of reported incidents, while online sexual harassment and gender trolling each represent 15%. Facebook emerges as the main battleground, linked to 88% of abuse cases, with WhatsApp and Twitter trailing at 4% and 5% respectively. Manyaneng warned, “These acts may occur behind screens, but their impact is deeply felt.” She highlighted the heavy toll on survivors, who grapple with emotional trauma, social isolation, damaged reputations, school dropouts, job losses, and even physical danger.
The United Nations (2023) has sounded the alarm that digital violence stifles women’s participation in politics, business, leadership, and the economy, a reality Manyaneng connected directly to Botswana’s national development. “A nation that silences women online limits innovation. A nation that intimidates girls digitally suppresses the leaders of tomorrow. A nation that does not protect the vulnerable cannot present itself as truly free,” she declared. She went on to say, “Women are targets of violence purely because of their gender,” describing this as “a scar on any society that must be confronted head on and eradicated.”
While she hailed the passage of the Cybersecurity Bill on August 14, 2025, as a significant milestone, Manyaneng cautioned that the true challenge lies in its execution. “The successful implementation of this legislation depends on our collective commitment to uphold its provisions and defend the rights and dignity of every woman and girl,” she said. Despite the rising tide of incidents, she lamented that “many of these cases go unreported, and those that are reported often aren’t investigated, or fail to reach the courts.”
Her statement also touched on a chilling incident where three young Batswana women were lured through social media by a suspected human trafficking syndicate. Authorities say this reflects a worrying rise in digital exploitation linked to cross-border crime. The International Labour Organization (2024) echoes these concerns, warning that traffickers across Africa increasingly exploit online platforms, taking advantage of weak cyber-investigation systems and low digital literacy.
Manyaneng called on communities, families, and schools to boost digital literacy. “Women and girls must know where to turn for help. They must be treated with dignity and have confidence that their cases will be taken seriously,” she said. She encouraged stronger partnerships between tech companies, civil society, and law enforcement to improve monitoring, accountability, and online safety. “Urgent action is needed to combat the surge in digital violence,” she urged, underscoring the value of robust reporting mechanisms.
As Botswana advances toward a digital economy, UNDP research (2023) warns that failing to tackle online gender-based violence risks widening inequality and weakening innovation ecosystems. Manyaneng sounded a note of caution: “As our nation moves toward a digital economy… we must also confront the reality that technology is increasingly being used as a tool of harm.”
She urged Parliament to align Botswana’s laws with global agreements like the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which require governments to safeguard women’s full participation in public life. “There must be no impunity for perpetrators of digital violence against women and girls,” she insisted. “We must ensure thorough investigations and that offenders face full accountability through just criminal prosecution.”
Connecting the fight against digital violence to Botswana’s Vision 2036, Manyaneng stressed that the country’s dreams of a fair, inclusive society hinge on creating safe digital spaces. “By enforcing these principles, we move closer to the Botswana we aspire to,” she said. She concluded with a powerful message: technology must become “a tool for empowerment, not a platform for abuse.”
As the nation marked the 16 Days of Activism, Manyaneng called on everyone to unite. “Together let us say it with one voice: Unite. Unite. Speak out. Act Now. End Digital Violence. End Gender-Based Violence.”
