planning, finance to human resource development, monitoring and evaluation of sector’s performance and development effectiveness. Botswana, like other countries globally, has committed to addressing and eliminating Gender Based Violence (GBV). In 2015 Botswana developed a National Strategy towards Ending Gender Based Violence in Botswana by 2020. The national GBV multisectoral response takes cognisance of the urgent need to protect, ensure respect and fulfilment of human rights especially for women and girls, and other vulnerable groups such as people with disability. The Married Persons Property Act (2013); which makes provision for persons married under customary law to opt for their property to be administered under civil law. The new dispensation will allow persons getting married under customary law to opt either in or out of community of property. Furthermore, the new law will allow those persons whose joint property is administered under civil law to be able to approach the High Court to change their marriage regime where their initial property regime seizes to be of an advantage to them. These new developments ensure equal rights for married persons whether such marriages were contracted under civil law or customary law. The Interpretation (Amendment) Act (2013); The Interpretation (Amendment) Act 2010, amending the definitions of ‘age of majority’ and ‘minor’ respectively to mean a person who has attained the age of eighteen years or has not attained the age of eighteen. The Affirmative Action Policy on Remote Area Communities (2012) The purpose of the affirmative action, which will be implemented over a period of ten years, is an attempt to promote equal opportunities for remote area communities. It has been instituted by Government to ensure that the remote area communities are included in all national programmes by addressing all identified imbalances and improving their livelihoods. Equality before the law with regard to children In dealing with issues of discrimination, Government has not only focused on equality before the law between men and women, but has also taken legislative measures to protect and promote the equality of the child before the law. In that regard, the Children’s Act (2009) introduces a Bill of Rights for all children in Botswana. Section 7(a) thereof prohibits discrimination in the following terms: 27 | P a g e

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