News

Stigma continues to be one of the biggest barriers preventing women from accessing Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) services in Botswana, a new study by the University of Botswana (UB) has revealed.

Presenting the findings in Gaborone recently, Principal Investigator, Mr Ari Ho-Foster from the Faculty of Medicine said stigma, shaped by cultural attitudes, perpetrators, communities and internalised fear, remains a critical obstacle to women seeking help.

The study, conducted by UB in partnership with the Botswana Gender Based Violence Prevention and Support Centre (BGBVC), explores stigma and help-seeking behaviour among IPV survivors, using a mixed-methods approach. According to the findings, 40.9 percent of women in Botswana have experienced physical or sexual IPV at least once in their lifetime.

Mr Ho-Foster noted that the research identified three key factors that fuelled IPV stigma: community norms about male dominance over female partners, individual beliefs about male dominance and survivor-blaming attitudes. “These attitudes not only silence survivors but also increase the risk of severe psychological distress,” he said.

The study found alarming links between stigma and mental health outcomes: 15 percent of survivors reported having attempted suicide, eight (8) percent had suicidal thoughts, four (49) percent were at risk of depression and 18 percent were at risk of post-traumatic stress disorder. Survivors who strongly endorsed community norms about male dominance were more likely to attempt suicide and less likely to disclose their experiences while those who internalised survivor-blaming attitudes were more likely to experience suicidal thoughts and PTSD symptoms.

When it comes to help-seeking, the findings reveal a troubling picture. One in four (4) survivors (25 percent) had never sought help from any formal support system while more than half (54 percent) had not accessed formal support at the time of interview. Among those who sought help, many cited worsening abuse (44 percent) and exhaustion from enduring violence (38 percent) as the main reasons.

The most commonly sought sources of help included: police (35 percent), counsellors or therapists (21 percent), medical services (10 percent), social workers (9 percent), NGOs providing support (8 percent) and magistrates’ courts (3 percent). However, 12 percent of survivors had not engaged any form of support, formal or informal.

“These findings demonstrate the urgent need to challenge harmful gender norms and to strengthen both formal and informal support systems,” Ho-Foster stressed.

The study adds to mounting evidence that combating gender inequitable beliefs and dismantling stigma is critical to ensuring survivors of IPV can access life-saving services in Botswana.