The Child Maintenance Courts set up by the Administration of Justice in major
centre areas to enable women to access payment of maintenance. Implementation of
the Affiliation Proceedings Act has been intensified by ensuring the enforcement
of maintenance orders by the police.
The Judicial Case Management System introduced in 2010 by the Administration
of Justice to deal with backlog of cases. Statistics reflect that the disposal rate of
cases stands at an average of 75% – 80% annually. Plans are currently underway to
introduce judicial case management to lower courts with the Magistrate Court
being the first, thereby enabling litigants who appear in court to access justice
faster.
Mobile Courts
The Administration of Justice has also introduced Mobile Courts. These are
intended to take justice to the people, particularly in areas where long distance
constrains access to the courts.
Engagement with Dikgosi
The Government continuously engages with Dikgosi (Chiefs) in efforts to achieve
gender justice through promotion of equal opportunities and rights for women and
men with a particular focus on mainstreaming gender within the customary justice
system.
The National Disability Coordination Office (NDCO) established by the Office of
the President in 2010 with the mandate to develop and coordinate the
implementation of policies, programmes and strategies aimed at empowering people
with disabilities. The Office also serves as the Secretariat for the National Council
on Disability, the National Coordinating Committee on Disability and Sir Seretse
Khama Memorial Fund for the handicapped.
ASSISTANCE FROM DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS AND CIVIL SOCIETY
Botswana has developed a number of relations with development partners and has
benefitted through technical and/or financial support from several regional and
multilateral economic cooperation partnerships, such as the African Growth
Opportunity Act (AGOA). UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, UN Women, UNAIDS,
UNECA, USAID, DFID, The European Union, The African Comprehensive
HIV/AIDS Partnership, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, among others.
16 | P a g e