Wife Abuse Among a Sample of Divorced Women in Botswana

Abstract

Abuse of women in Botswana is widespread, but for many years it has received little attention. Based on interviews with 19 divorced women in Botswana who had experienced abuse during the course of their marriages, this article explores their perceptions of the abuse. Specifically, two major themes that dominated women's accounts are discussed: how women explained the abuse and the social factors that constrained them from leaving. Findings reported in this article are drawn from interviews with divorced mothers that the author conducted for a study of children's experiences of divorce in Botswana. The study was guided largely by the social-constructionist approach as well as the feminist perspective. Wife abuse was a common experience for most mothers in the study, and they had stayed in abusive marriages for many years. The article concludes by highlighting current responses to the problem of wife abuse and future challenges.

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