ORPHANS DISINHERITED THROUGH PROPERTY GRABBING

DITSHWANELO – The Botswana Centre for Human Rights joins others in the [international recognition of World Aids Day, 1 December.

The theme this year of Women, Girls and HIV/AIDS serves to focus attention on the societal challenges which make women and girls particularly vulnerable to the HIV/AIDS virus. Gender inequality contributes to the high infection rates among women. Domestic violence, rape and other forms of sexual abuse remove the right of women to make choices about their lives. For many women faced with these challenges, poverty and its consequences lead women to engage in activities which further expose them to contracting the HIV/AIDS virus.

The link between women and girls exists because the patterns of behaviour of women, unless there is change, reflect the choices which face the youth. To change the devastating effects of inequality, young women, in particular, need to be focussed upon. This can be done by ensuring that programmes and projects pay serious attention to the ‘gendered approach’ to dealing with the pandemic.

Through its work, DITSHWANELO strives for the equality of all. However, we recognise that society is fraught with inequality. Recently, we have been dealing with increased cases of inheritance concerns. These relate to property grabbing by relatives of orphan children. Orphans are created through the death of a parent. Violence against women often results in the death of a parent.

DITSHWANELO, together with the Women’s NGO Coalition, jointly produced a booklet on Inheritance. Traditionally, we Batswana do not write wills to describe how and to whom property is to be given after the death of the giver. The Inheritance Booklet explains how to write a will. It contains a sample of a will. It also deals with inheritance under customary law as well as in relationships where couples live together as husband and wife without being officially married (cohabitation). The Booklet is in both Setswana and English.

DITSHWANELO believes that it is through the empowering of women and girls about their rights; economic empowerment and education, that the high rate of infection amongst women and girls may be addressed. Through public awareness-raising about the importance of will-writing, DITSHWANELO aims to contribute to a more secure future for all children.

1 December 2004
Gaborone