The Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Gaborone recently held a walk against gender based violence.

Speaking at the event the Botswana Police Director of Training, Senior Assistant Commissioner Maluti Gabositwe said that women are usually the ones at the bitter receiving end of domestic violence.

Mrs Gabositwe stated that of the 105 love-related murders (commonly known as passion killings) recorded last year only three men died with the rest of the victims being women. She also said that recent statistics indicate that crimes such as rape, defilement and other cases related with domestic abuse have become a daily occurrence.

In her remarks, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Country representative Ms Aisha Camara-Drammeh commended the Adventist and urged other religious organizations to follow suit. She said that churches and other faith based organizations are in a better position to fight gender based violence as they have a large geographical coverage and can reach the remotest of areas with their message.

She said churches can tackle this problems through sermons, counselling, supporting the victims and holding the abusers accountable for their actions.

The walk was held under the theme “End it now.”