MORALITY

Morality is the idea or sense of right and wrong or good and bad
Morality is often associated with human behavior and conduct. Human behavior can
be seen as acceptable or unacceptable, depending on the views of the people
concerned.

ASPECTS OF MORALITY
Aspects of morality deals with human interactions. They address our actions,
thoughts, ideals and principles. Actions or decisions can be divided into three moral
categories or aspects.

1. MORAL ACTION
Moral action refers to behavior or conduct or character which is regarded as right or
good. They are decisions or actions that are believed to be right and acceptable.

EXAMPLES

a) Respecting other people

b) Greeting elders
c) Obeying rules and people in authority
d) Sharing what you have with others

2. IMMORAL ACTION

Immoral action refers to behaviour, conduct or character which is viewed and

regarded as wrong. These are decisions or actions that go against a person or
society’s values and are believed to be wrong and unacceptable

EXAMPLES

a) Cheating in examination
b) Stealing
c) Telling lies
d) Killing other people

3. AMORAL ACTION

Amoral action means behaviour, conduct or character which shows no understanding

of right and wrong.

EXAMPLES

a) A baby tearing up a magazine

b) A mentally ill person walking naked
c) A donkey sleeping in the middle of the road

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SOURCES OF MORALITY

A source is a place or a person from which can get something. E.g. a teacher can be a
source of knowledge. The knowledge of right and wrong is guided and influenced by a
number of factors.
These include religion, philosophy etc. most of our principles and standards of
behaviour come from religion and philosophy.

RELIGION AS A SOURCE OF MORALITY

Religion is a belief system such as Christianity, Islam or African Traditional Religion.

Religion can greatly influence the way in which we behave because whatever one
does depends on his /her beliefs and the things they think are important.

Most religions have a moral code or a list of rules or commandments by which their
members should live. Individuals who are followers of a particular religion do their
best to respect and obey the rules of their religion. E.g.

1. CHRISTIANITY

Moral code for Christianity is known as the Ten Commandments. E.g.

Thou shall not kill, Thou shall not steal, and Thou shall not commit adultery

The above commandments influence the lifestyle of Christians. Their behavior is

judged accordance to these standards or principles.

2. BOTSWANA TRADITIONAL RELIGION (B.T.R)

The teachings of BTR are based on the appeasement of the ancestors or badimo. The
behavior of the followers is guided by the happiness of the ancestors and avoidance
of taboos (meila) it is believed that if the ancestors are unhappy they could punish by
bringing drought, diseases or heavy rainfall.

3. ISLAM
The moral code of Islam is based on the sharia law. The law states the standard of
behavior to govern the Muslims on how to live and how wrongdoers should be
punished. The following are strictly forbidden
Gambling, Sex before marriage, Adultery, Stealing Murder etc

A woman who commits adultery or has sex before marriage is usually sentenced to
death through stoning. Thus Muslims live a morally upright live in fear of punishment

PHILOSOPHY AS A SOURCE OF MORALITY

Philosophy is the study of nature and meaning of existence. It tries to explain the
meaning of our existence and nature and how we relate with our environment. There
are a number of theories which try to justify our conduct and [Link]
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 a) KANTIEN ETHICS- (RARU PRINCIPLE)

According to Emmanuel Kant actions are good when people do them for a good
reason. The good of an action does not depend on its results instead it depends on the
intention of the person performing the action.
Immanuel Kant ca me up with four conditions that must be met for any action to be
accepted as a morally good action. The conditions are;

● Rationality(reasoning) ; the action should develop one’s reasoning

● Autonomy (freedom); the action should develop one’s freedom or
autonomy(self rule or independent decision)
● Respect for others; the action should develop respect for others
● Universality; the action should eliminate discrimination
All four actions should be satisfied for any act to be truly morally acceptable, if
anyone is not met, then the action is not morally good.

b) UTILITARIAN ETHICS- (the greatest good for the greatest number)

Utility is a theory which suggests that a course of an action is morally good when it
makes the majority satisfied. This principle simply means that if any action is
preferred by the majority then such an action is good and morally acceptable

For example, if majority of learners in a class are more alert and get better results in
Maths when they are taught outdoors, then having lessons outside the classrooms
can be seen as good and morally acceptable.

THE NEED FOR MORALITY IN THE SOCIETY

● Morality guides the way people in the society behave and interact with one
another- it helps people to see the difference between right and wrong, good
and bad
● Morality helps people to make responsible choices and act in a responsible
way

● Morality helps people to live together in peace and harmony- it helps the
members of a society to respect each other and gives them a sense of
belonging and security

● Morality helps society to punish wrong doing and reward right actions- most
people in a society do not want to be punished and therefore do their best to
avoid breaking the laws of the society

● Morality makes sure that individuals in a society are treated fairly and that
there is justice for all in that society

VALUES
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Values are the beliefs and ways of behaving that a person or a group of people such
as a family or a community, consider important to them.

TYPES OF VALUES

1. PERSONAL VALUES
Personal values are ideas, principles or things that a person believes are important to
him or her. E.g. a person may value education and marriage.

2. MORAL VALUES
- Moral values are standards or ides of right and wrong and good and bad
that govern people’s behavior and choices.
● Moral values are those principles that people believe to be important for
themselves and for all the people in their community. For example
- justice kindness
Generosity politeness
Cooperation empathy
Respect generosity
Sharing

3. CULTURAL VALUES

Cultural values are ideas principles or things that a group of people or particular
culture thinks are important to them.
- they are the believes and the behaviours that give us a sense of where we come
from and where we belong. They make us feel connected to a larger community of
people with similar backgrounds. Cultural values can be material and non material,
e.g. Tolerance, respect, peace etc.

4. AESTHETIC VALUES
They are the values that are concerned with beauty and the study of art. They include
the desire for beauty and the conservation of the surrounding in which people live.
People may value things like
- planting trees
- conserving wildlife
- environmental sustainability

WAYS IN WHICH VALUES AFFECT BEHAVIOUR

1. Values guide our behaviour and thinking

● Values shows us what is considered good or bad behaviour. E.g. in Botswana
when one attends a funeral one is expected to wear dark clothing and to
appear sad. This is to show respect and support to the bereaved family.

2. Values help people to focus on their lives and give their lives a sense of direction
- Values help people to concentrate or put more effort on those things or areas
they consider important to them. E.g. a student who values education will focus his
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 or her effort and time on education and learning instead of nice time or leisure
time.

5. Values influence the decisions people make and the rules tat they set for
themselves, either as individuals or as a society.
The decisions that people make are usually meant to help them achieve what they
want. E.g. a student who wants to pass his/her examinations may decide to stop
participating in sports until after the examinations so that she can prepare better
for the examinations

6. values show us what is important to an individual or society

E.g. people choose jobs on the basis of their values. If one values wealth she will
choose a job that pays well, but when one values helping others they may decide
to become a social worker or medical doctor.

IMPORTANCE OF MORAL VALUES

i) Moral values are one of the things that make us human. We are able to
understand the difference between right and wrong, having moral values
distinguishes us from other animals.
ii) Moral values are important because they influence the way we do things.
Values shape our lives and the way we conduct ourselves. Whenever we
make a moral decision we have to take our moral values into account.
iii) Values give meaning to the things we do. - e.g. working hard for the good of
the community makes us feel as if we are making an important contribution
to our society and to the nation of Botswana. This gives us a sense of
purpose.

iv) Our moral value allows us to lead a better life and a truly happy life. We will
not be truly happy when we do bad things. We become truly happy when we
do good things that are morally acceptable.

v) Sharing the same good moral values as other people gives us a sense of
belonging- when one cares about being a member of a group, say a family
or choir- one will respect all the group rules so that one becomes loyal and
accepted by other group members.

LEVELS AT WHICH MORAL VALUES CAN BE APPLIED

The personal level. Personal moral values are held by individual persons.
The social level. Social moral values are held by the whole community or nation
The global level. Global moral values are held by all the nations of the world

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MORAL VALUE PERSONAL LEVEL SOCIAL LEVEL GLOBAL LEVEL
RESPECT I............ WE.............. Botswana.........

COOPERATION

KINDNESS

DECISION MAKING

● A decision is a choice that one makes between two or more alternatives.

● The act of reaching a conclusion or making up one’s mind about something
● Decision making is a process of making a choice between two or more
solutions to a problem

TYPES OF DECISIONS

ROUTINE DECISION (SIMPLE)

They are easy to make- they require less thinking, and their consequences are usually
short lived and not serious, e.g. what to wear
Which novel to read
MAJOR DECISION (COMPLEX)

They are difficult to make- they require more thought and their consequences are
usually serious and longer lasting. E.g. choosing a career
Deciding whether or not to resign from work

SKILLS NEEDED IN GOOD DECISION MAKING

Critical thinking skills- questioning the information you have to determine if the
information is correct
Creative thinking skills- involve applying knowledge you have gained in one situation
to a different situation

Problem solving skills- involve looking at an undesirable situation and finding ways of
solving or improving the situation

Interpersonal skills- involve relating to people without hurting them such as making
decisions after consulting the people involved to avoid upsetting them.

THE PROCESS OF DECISION MAKING

STEP [Link] and define the problem

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 ● know exactly what the problem is and what it involves

STEP 2. Collect information

- find the information about the problem from various sources, e.g. books, friends
or parents

STEP 3. Identify possible solutions

● come up with different possible solutions

STEP 4. Examine each alternative

● Asses each possible solution looking at short and long term consequences of
the action. consider and compare the advantage and disadvantages of each
option

STEP 5. Select the best option

● Choose the best possible solution after having looked at all the possible
options and their disadvantages and advantages.

STEP 6. Act on the chosen solution

● act on the chosen decision

MORAL DILEMMAS

A moral dilemma is a situation where two or more of our moral values are in conflict
A moral dilemma is a situation in which you are forced to make a choice between two
or more things that are equally balanced.

EXAMPLES OF MORAL DILEMMAS

1. Lye’s Mother and Father are not well. They both need a kidney donor for them
to survive. All the relatives and friends are not compatible donors. Lye is the
only one who is compatible to both of them and is willing to donate the kidney.
He is faced with a moral dilemma because he loves both his parents and does
not know who to save. He has o choose one and if he chooses one, the other
one, would die.

2. I went with a friend to the shops to buy some sweets. While paying I saw my
friend stealing a pen and putting it in his pocket and the shopkeeper did not see
him. I did not know what to do whether to report my friend or not.

Conflicting values

Loyalty to the friend

Respect for the law

3. Mary is a form one student. She has just found out that she is pregnant. She
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 comes to you seeking for help if she should commit abortion or drop out of school,
she wants both the baby and to continue with her schooling. What should Mary
do?

Conflicting values
Respect for the life of the child
Right to education

JUSTIFYING DECISION MADE IN RESOLVING MORAL DILEMMAS

When making a decision when faced with a moral dilemma, you must be able to justify
your decision. This means you must be able to give reasons why you made a
particular decision and not the other and why the choice could not have been avoided
When we justify decisions or give reasons for our decision in a moral dilemma we
should be able to say;
● We made a well informed decision
● We were aware of the advantages and disadvantages of the decision that we
made
● We knew the consequences of our decision
● We were aware that we were violating some of our moral values in favour of
one
● No one forced us to make the decision. we chose what to do

WAYS IN WHICH DECISION MAKING CAN BE USED IN SOLVING PROBLEMS

The following is an example of how you can use the decision making to solve a
problem

STEP1. IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM

Thabo identifies his problems. he is not doing well in mathematics although he
spends most of his time studying this subject.

STEP 2. COLLECT RELEVANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROBLEM

He asks friends, parents and teachers to suggest ways in which he can solve his
problem .he also searches the internet for information on how to study mathematics

STEP 3. IDENTIFY POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM

He identifies the following possible solutions
● Ignore mathematics and focus on the subjects he is good at
● Ask the mathematics teacher for extra lessons
● Ask his friends who are good at mathematics to help him

STEP 4. EXAMINE EACH POSSIBLE SOLUTION

● Ignore mathematics and focus on subjects he is good at
● ADVANTAGES- he does not have to worry about his poor results in
mathematics
● DISADVANTAGES- he will still get poor mark in mathematics which will lower
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 his overall grade.
● Ask the mathematics teacher for extra lessons
- Advantages- he will have the teacher to himself so he could ask as many
questions as he likes. The teacher will give him all the help he needs .his marks
are likely to improve which will improve his overall grade.
Disadvantage- he will have to come to school on Saturdays for extra lessons

STEP 5. CHOOSE THE BEST SOLUTION

● Thabo decides to ask the teacher for extra lessons because this solution has
more advantages than disadvantages.

STEP 6. ACT ON THE CHOSEN SOLUTION

- Thabo asks the teacher for extra lesson

PROBLEMS CAUSED BY CONFLICTING MORAL VALUES

● INDECISION- you cannot make up your mind about what to do.

● Most of the alternatives seem right or most of them seem wrong
● You cannot make a perfect choice
● You do not want to go against any of your moral values- whatever you choose
feels wrong
● You are afraid of the consequences of your decision, because the alternative
you eventually choose may not turn out to be the best

SELF CONCEPT

● Self concept is the mental image one has of oneself

● Self concept means what you know and understand about yourself. It is how
an individual thinks about and sees himself or herself

POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE CHARACTERISTICS

CHARACTERISTICS- are the qualities or features that are unique or special to an

individual. They can describe and identify the kind of person the individual is.

POSITIVE CHARACTERISTICS- are the good things about you. They are your
strengths .they are desirable features or qualities that make you like yourself and that
people admire about you. They are also called virtues.

NEGATIVE CHARACTERISTICS- are the undesirable qualities that you dislike about
yourself and that others may dislike about you. They are your weaknesses. They are
also called vices.

POSITIVE NEGATIVE
CHARACTERISTICS(virtues) CHARACTERISTICS

Honesty Laziness
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JUSTIFYING THE NEED TO IMPROVE POSITIVE CHARACTERISTICS

● Our positive characteristics are the foundation of good or moral behaviour.

When we improve our positive characteristics we improve our behaviour and
earn the respect of others.
● Improving our positive characteristics leads to higher self confidence and self
esteem. We will believe in ourselves and our ability to achieve our goals in life.
We will feel good about ourselves.
● Our positive characteristics help us to get well along with other people
● We can become role models for other young people

THE NEED TO OVERCOME NEGATIVE CHARACTERISTICS

We need to overcome our negative characteristics because it will;
● Help us to get well along with others. - e.g. most people do not like aggressive
people. if we change our aggression and become friendly and assertive we are
likely to make friends
● Allow us to do our best e.g. a lazy disorganized student cannot study properly,
so he or she will get poor results ,if this student stops being lazy and becomes
more organized, his or her performance will probably improve
● Help us to have a healthy self concept, self doubt will be replaced by self
confidence self belief
● Help us to behave in moral ways e.g. you will be less likely to break family
rules and school rules.

WAYS OF OVERCOMING NEGATIVE CHARACTERISTICS

● Be true to yourself; let your values guide your behaviour. Do not choose to
behave in bad ways for the sake of popularity’s sake or acceptance by your
friends
● Chooses someone who has many positive characteristics and is a good role
model; try to behave and act like your chosen role model
● Learn and practice the skills you need to overcome your negative
characteristics. E.g. communication skills, anger management skills, decision
making skills
● Motivate yourself by talking and thinking positively. Tell yourself ‘I can’ I will
overcome my negative characteristics.
● Set realistic goals for changing your negative characteristics and act on them
● Gather information from various sources about how you can overcome your
negative characteristics

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SELF AND OTHERS

Every person is an individual. No two people are exactly the same. Some of the
characteristics that can make us different from others are;
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 o Our beliefs and values
o Our self concept
o Our physical appearance
o Our abilities
o Our interests
o Our likes and dislikes
o Our ambitions and dreams for the future

ELEMENTS OF POSITIVE SELF CONCEPT

1. SELF- ESTEEM

- Self esteem means how valuable or worthy you think you are as an individual.
- Self esteem is that feeling you have about yourself
A person can have either low or high self esteem
● High self esteem
People who have a high self esteem have a good or positive feeling about
themselves.
● Low self esteem
People who have low self esteem have negative feeling about themselves

FACTORS THAT PROMOTE SELF- ESTEEM

● Respect yourself for being the unique individual you are- if you trust and
believe yourself you will build your self- esteem and be proud of the person
you are

● Self acceptance- accepting yourself can promote self esteem. Self

acceptance especially of the negative characteristics that you cannot change
means you can still feel good about yourself.

● Self appreciation- being proud of your achievements can promote self-

esteem. Take time to remember all the things you have done well and smile.

● Praise and encouragement- being praised and encouraged by others when

you do well can promote your self esteem. e.g. when you do well at school and
your parents and teachers and friends praise you, you will feel good.

● Self awareness- knowing your positive characteristics is good for your self
esteem because it helps you feel good about.

● Believing in yourself- you know yourself best. If you believe and trust in
yourself you will not be afraid of new challenges.

FACTORS THAT HINDER SELF ESTEEM

● Focusing on tour negative characteristics- this will make you feel bad about
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 yourself especially if you focus on the characteristics you cannot change.

● Comparing yourself to others- sometimes comparing yourself to others can

make you feel bad about yourself because you do not appreciate your unique
abilities. You may end up thinking that you are not as good as they are.

● Rejection- if one does not feel accepted in society one may feel inferior and
will end up having a low self esteem as she will not have a sense of belonging

● Constant criticism- unhelpful negative comments or criticism of things you

cannot change can damage your self esteem. e.g. if parents teachers and
friends keep on making negative comments about your abilities or physical
appearance, you may feel bad about yourself

● Abuse- people who have experienced abuse in their lives will have a low self-
esteem. Abused people often blame themselves for the abuse and let their
abusers make them feel worthless.

Other factors may include the following;

● Lack of interpersonal relationships
● Not being autonomous
● Failure to accept your weaknesses
2. SELF CONFIDENCE

● It refers to a feeling of trust in one’s abilities, qualities and judgment.

● Means believing in yourself and your abilities
● A feeling of trust and certainty about something

FACTORS THAT PROMOTE SELF CONFIDENCE

● Rewarding performance- when people are praised or rewarded for their

efforts their self confidence is developed or reinforced.

● High self esteem- someone with high self esteem feels good about himself or
herself. This in turn gives him or her confidence in her abilities and strengths

● Good experiences- good experiences such as achieving your goals, doing

very well in a test examination can help you believe in yourself.

● A positive attitude- when you have a positive attitude you are not afraid of
facing new challenges. If you do well your self confidence grows

● Self awareness- someone who focuses on his or her positive characteristics

is likely to believe in and trust himself or herself .e.g. if you know that you are
good at football or netball you will feel confident to join the school team

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FACTORS THAT HINDER SELF CONFIDENCE

● Focusing on your negative characteristics- you will not believe on yourself and
you will doubt that you have the ability to do well

● Fear of failure or (insecurity)- this hinders self confidence because you will
not want to try new things or take up new challenges for fear of failing or
making a mistake again

● Rejection and humiliation- being rejected and humiliated by important people

in one’s life such as parents relatives peers friends and teachers can make one
loose confidence in oneself

● Constant criticism- when someone is always rebuked, teased, insulted or

treated in a negative manner that person is likely to become shy or withdrawn.

SELF ASSERTIVENESS
- is the ability to standup for your rights and express your thoughts and feelings
in a direct and honest way while respecting the feelings and rights of others
- asking for what you want or speaking up for yourself when you feel strongly
that you have something to say
- is the ability to express our own views opinions and demands confidently
without fear or aggression

FACTORS THAT PROMOTE SELF ASSERTIVENESS

- Having values and principles- awareness of your values can help you to be
assertive. If you know what is important to you, you will be able to say no when
others want to violate your values

- High self esteem- it promotes assertiveness, when you feel good about
yourself you will be able to speak for yourself

- Self confidence- if you are self confident you will not be afraid to stand up for
yourself and say what you think or feel, it allows you to behave assertively by
taking responsibility for your actions

- Good communication skills- your ability to express yourself clearly and

honestly without being rude or aggressive can promote assertiveness.
Assertive communication is being able to describe the situation or problem,
saying what you feel about it and what you want to do.

- Decision making skills- ability to make good decisions on your own can make
you assertive. You can choose to do what is in your best interest and take
responsibility for your own actions

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FACTORS THAT HINDER ASSERTIVENESS

- Low self esteem- people with low self esteem are often afraid of saying what
they think or feel. They do not see themselves as people worthy of love and
respect and so they cannot stand up for their rights

- Lack of self confidence- if you lack self confidence others can take advantage
of you or control you for their own benefit. you do not trust and believe in
yourself

- Fear- different fears can stop you from being assertive. E.g. fear of not being
liked by others, fear of hurting others and the fear of being called selfish. you
may do something to please others, even if it is something you did not want to
do

- Socialization- in some traditional society’s young people and women are not
assertive because they have been socialized to be non- assertive. Young
people are supposed to do as they are told by adults, women are expected to
obey men

- Lack of openness- shy, passive and conservative people are in most cases
unable to express their own opinions

- Inability to accept yourself- if you are unwilling or unable to accept your

physical, mental and emotional characteristics you destroy your spirit of self
confidence, and if you do not have confidence in who you are, you also cannot
be assertive about what you want or don’t want.

SITUATIONS WHERE ONE SHOWED POSITIVE SELF CONCEPT

SHOWING SELF ASSERTIVENESS

My friends have started drinking beer. They want me to start drinking too. I told them
that I do not want to drink beer. Now they keep teasing me. They say I am boring and
do not know how to have fun. I don’t think I am boring, I thin there are better things
and healthier ways of having fun e.g. watching television,. I have made it clear to them
that no amount of teasing will make me change my mind. Now they accept me as I am.

SHOWING SELF CONFIDENCE

Each class in your school has to make a presentation on the day of the African child.
Your class chooses you to present on children’s rights on behalf of your class,
although you know what to say, you eel anxious and scared to stand in front of the
whole school to make your presentation, you tell yourself that you can do it and it is a
good opportunity to practice public speaking skills you were taught. You prepare your
speech and ask your class teacher to check it. On the day, you walk to the microphone
and talked confidently

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AUTONOMY

- It s the ability to act independently and govern yourself and your own affairs
- It means to govern oneself or self rule

IMPORTANCE OF AUTONOMY

● It helps us to think for ourselves and make independent decisions- this is

important because every choice or decision that we make shows our character
or the kind of a person that we are.
● It makes us countable for our own decisions and behaviour (accountability).-
We cannot blame others for our wrong decisions or bad behaviour. We have to
take responsibility for what we have done or what we have failed to do.
● Helps us to resist negative or bad peer pressure- negative peer pressure is
when our friends persuade or influence us to behave in immoral ways, to break
rules or laws or to do things that can harm us and others,. It is not easy to say
no to our friends unless we are able to think and act autonomously.
● We can give reasons for our decisions and behaviour- we can explain why we
did or did not do something and why we value things and not others
● It builds a positive self concept, high self esteem, assertiveness and self
confidence. We can be proud of who we are and what we stand for.
● Autonomy enhances personal growth- it equips you with problem solving
skills that helps you to solve your own problems as one when growing up he is
able to identify his own weaknesses and learn from them. This allows one to be
a better person..

WAYS OF PROMOTING AUTONOMY

a) EDUCATION AND ACCESS TO INFORMATION

Lack of education and access to information can result in people being able to
make sound decisions because they do not have the necessary information on
which to act. Well educated people can make meaningful, independent decisions
as they understand contemporary moral issues.

b) RESOURCES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY

Modern technology and user friendly social structures have helped a lot of people
to lead as close to normal life as possible. Visually impaired should be taught to
read braille. Hearing impaired to use sign language to communicate, artificial
limbs, wheel chairs, and crutches are also used to enable people to be more
autonomous since they do not have to rely on others to get where they want to be
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 c) ASSERTIVENESS
If you are assertive, you can stand up for yourself and make your own decisions.
Therefore you are likely to be autonomous when you are assertive.

d) GENDER EQUALITY
Women and men should be treated equally and given the same opportunities in
life. This will make women more independent and they will not have to rely on men
to support them.

e) ACTING ACCORDING TO OUR PERSONAL VALUES

Our values are whatever is important to us. By basing our decisions, actions and
behaviour on our values we will act autonomously

f) DEVELOPING A POSITIVE SELF CONCEPT

People who have a positive self concept have high self- esteem, are confident and
also assertive, as a result they can act autonomously with ease

AUTONOMOUS ACTIONS

1. Nino and Dodo are good friends. They are intelligent and usually score high marks
in school. Their classmates sometimes try to influence them to neglect their school
work and to get involved in sexual relationships. They usually reject this influence
saying that education comes first and that hard work pays in the end.

2. I think I have to take my education serious so that I can contribute something to my

country and society. No, I cannot do what my friends say. I cannot dodge school
everyday and spend the whole day drinking beer.

INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
- are the skills that we use to get well along with other people
- are the tactics or abilities that enable us to get on well with others.
- abilities or skills of effective communication
They include the following;
● Communication skills-
● Conflict resolution skills- conflicts between people happen all the time.
However, It is important to resolve the conflicts so that relationships are not
damaged
● Assertiveness skills- assertive action helps people have open and honest
relationships they are likely to respect and understand each other’s needs,
wants and feelings
● Courtesy- means being polite
● Respect- means having a good opinion of someone and valuing him or her as
a person
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 ● Empathy-
● Confidentiality e.t.c

INTERPRSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
- an interpersonal relationship is an association or connection between individuals
- An interaction or link between two or more people

People have different sorts of interpersonal relationships. For example,

● Between classmates
● Between teachers and learners
● Between brothers and sisters
● Between husbands and wife’s
● Between people in the community
● Parents and their children

WHY WE NEED TO RELATE WELL WITH OTHERS

We need to relate well with others for the following reasons

● We will have fewer conflicts with other people. When there are conflicts, they
are likely to be resolved peacefully.
● Other will accept and appreciate us
● Others willingly helps us when we ask
● We will work well with others e.g. in completing tasks as a group or team
● We will be happier so make others happier
● We will build good and lasting relationships with other people
● Helps promote peace and harmony

HOW INTERPERSONAL RELATIOSHIPS AFFECT INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS

There are several reasons why interpersonal skills are essential for every
relationship. People with good interpersonal skills;
● Know how to relate well with others, so less miscommunication happens
● Understand the needs of others
● Know how to approach people
● Know that people are unique
● Can promote constructive relationships that grow deeper over time
● Can balance the needs of those involved in relationships

HOW LACK OF INTERPERSONAL SKILLS AFFECT INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS

Lack of interpersonal skills is harmful to any relationship. If people lack interpersonal

skills the following are common;
● Breakdown of relationships as people do not understand or care for each
other anymore
● Fighting, stress or lack of love in families
● People especially men being unable to understand or talk about their own
feelings and problems in relationships, and instead using physical violence, so
abuse of women and children happens
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 ● Children can become anti- social as a result and possibly end up delinquent
● A high divorce rate and the problems that follow, especially for children
● Problems such as inequality, prejudice and stereotyping become worse
● Misunderstandings leading to conflict and emotional hurt in families,
neighborhoods and the society

THE NEED FOR EMPATHY AND RESPECT FOR OTHERS

Empathy- means the ability to put yourself in someone else’s position and understand
his or her needs and feelings.
Respect- means having a good opinion of someone and valuing him/her as a person.

THE NEED FOR EMPATHY FOR OTHERS

● Makes us aware of the other persons feeling or situation, this helps us to be

generous, compassionate and caring because we understand the other
persons feeling or situation
● Helps us not to hurt or harm others. we will not do to others what we will not
want done to us.
● Can also help us understand other people better. We can begin to make sense
of their behaviour towards people. This helps us to respond to them with
empathy.
● Empathy opens us to our similarities, and teaches us tolerance about our
differences
● Helps us get along well and work together peacefully

THE NEED TO RESPECT OTHERS

We need to respect others because;
● It makes them feel valued and important to us
● They are likely to show us respect
● We treat others in the way you would like to be treated
● Respect promotes peace and harmony between people
● We think everyone must be treated with dignity.

ADOLESCENCE

It is the stage of life when a child goes through physical (puberty), emotional, social
and mental changes to become an adult.
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It is the stage of development between childhood and adulthood

THE CHANGES THAT OCCUR DURING ADOLESCENCE

PHYSICAL CHANGES OR PUBERTY

Adolescence begins with physical changes known as puberty
Boys and girls experience different physical changes and these may occur at different
times.

CHANGES THAT TAKE PLACE IN BOYS AN GIRLS DURING PUBERTY

BOYS GIRLS
Growth spurt Growth spurt
Sweat glands make more sweat Sweat glands make more sweat
Skin is oilier and may be pimply Skin is oilier and may be pimply
Voices grow deeper Breasts buds appear
Pubic and underarm hair grows Pubic and underarm hair grows
Body hair grows thicker and longer, face Body hair grows thicker and longer
hair grows
Muscles grow bigger Develop hips and pelvic bones grow wider
Develop sexual desire Develop sexual desire
Experience wet dreams Experience menstruation
Sexual organs grow bigger Sexual organs grow bigger

EMOTIONAL CHANGES

● Mood swings- moods can change suddenly, from being happy one moment to
feeling sad angry the next.
● Being short tempered – may get angry easily even over minor issues
● Self awareness- they become more aware of their physical appearance so
they may spend a lot of time grooming to make sure they look good.
● Sexual feelings- begin to have sexual feelings and romantic feelings for
others. they may want to have a special boyfriend or girlfriend
● Loneliness or confusion- may feel lonely and confused; they often feel no one
understands them, especially adults.

SOCIAL CHANGES

● Forming of personal identity- begins to establish his or her own identity and
values. As a result he or she may want more privacy, some may refuse to obey
rules and reject authority
● Friends- friendship and acceptance by the group of friends becomes very
important. Through friendship they learn the necessary social skills of relating
to others.
● Becoming independent- begins to be more independent of their parents, they
want more freedom to make their own decisions and they may feel frustrated
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 when they are not allowed to do as they please.

MENTAL CHANGES

● Ability to reason- develops the ability to think logically. E.g. they begin to
notice inconsistent behaviour in others, especially adults, when they one thing
and do the opposite
● Ability to evaluate- begins to develop the ability to identify different choices
and think about the advantages and disadvantages of each choice.
● Ability to understand ideas- begins to develop the ability to think about the
ideas and things they cannot see or touch. E.g. they are able to form their own
opinions about what is happening around them on political, health,
environmental and morality issues.
● Ability to empathise- develop the ability to think about how they are perceived
by others and to understand other peoples points of view.
● Ability to think about the future- develop the ability to think ahead and predict
what might happen in the future.

THE WAY CHANGES IN ADOLESCENCE INFLUENCE BEHAVIOUR

● Adolescents may worry about putting on weight and begin to be more aware
of what they eat
● May become more curious about sexual matters. Some may have their first
romantic or sexual relationship
● Some may become very shy and quiet because they lack self confidence
● They may also get irritated or angry easily and feel adults do not understand
them
● Adolescents begin to prefer to spend more time with friends than their
families; friends begin to influence their likes and dislikes.
● They may want more privacy and become more secretive. E.g. they may not
want their parents to meet their friends; they may not want other family
members to enter their bedrooms without permission
● They may develop or lose interests in different activities quickly as part of
developing their own identity.
● Begin to question rules as well as the values of their parents and community;
they may want to know the reasons behind the rules they have to follow.
● They may become argumentative and rebellious especially against the
authority of adults.

APPLYING SKILLS TO COPE WITH THE EFFECTS OF ADOLESCENT CHANGES

There are skills an adolescent can learn and to cope with the effects of the changes.
These skills include the following- ; effective communication, decision making,
emotional intelligence (anger and stress management), assertiveness, interpersonal
skills and development of a positive self concept.

1. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
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This skill helps parents and teachers to openly discuss the changes adolescents are
undergoing. It involves providing adolescents with information concerning their
growth and development. It helps them prepare for the changes they are experiencing
so that these do not surprise and traumatize them.

2. DECISION MAKING

These skills refer to the ability to make or create alternatives to a situation. The
situation can either be short term, mid term or long term. Adolescents are concerned
with making choices about future spouses, careers or jobs, and opportunities for
further education.

3. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Emotional intelligence is concerned with the way adolescents communicate with

others, the appropriate control of their emotions and their self awareness. It therefore
includes stress and anger management. Adolescents need to develop their emotional
intelligence so that they are able to control their aggressive behaviour, and also needs
to know the available options available to them by controlling their emotions

PAST AND PRESENT ATTITUDES OF BOYS AND GIRLS TOWARDS EACH OTHER
● In the past boys regarded girls as being inferior or subordinate to them. Girls
regarded boys as superior to them. Their attitude towards each other was
influenced by society as in many ethnic groups in Botswana men and women
were not equal. Men were leaders in the family and the community and
women were expected to obey them.

● Men had power and authority over women. E.g. a husband had power and
authority over his wife and was responsible for managing the family resources.
When he died the eldest son became the head of the family. In the community
the position of the kgosi was passed from father to the eldest son.

● In the past males and females had different responsibilities. E.g. males were
responsible for looking after cattle, ploughing and roofing roundavels. Women
did the household chores, took care of the young children and grew crops. Boys
were expected to do tasks for males, while girls did the tasks for females.

● Boys who failed to do male tasks and did not behave like men were said to be
weak and were called names such as phara meseseng, kgole ya Chiba, nkele
dibing which implied that they were girlish and weak. Girls who were strong and
assertive were criticized and accused of wanting to be like men.

● During adolescence boys and girls were encouraged to keep away from each
other, boys spend most of their time playing with other boys. Girls spend their
time playing with other girls or helping their mothers in the village and the fields.

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 PRESENT ATTITUDES
● Nowadays boys and girls see each other as equals this has been brought
about by a number of factors – first socialization has changed, children are
brought together at home, they are no longer brought up in different places
with household chores clearly allocated according to ones sex, they help each
other in the house and in performing duties in and around the house.

● School is another place that has helped change the way boys and girls relate
with each other, boys and girls attend the same school. Boys now do the
subjects that were traditionally thought to be feminine such as home
economics and the same applies to girls.

- The school also provides an opportunity for boys and girls to develop
relationships since they are free to mix.
- sports is another area where boys and girls can come into contact with each
other, they both belong to the same sports teams like softball, football etc

FAMILY LIFE

THE ROLE OF THE FAMILY IN THE MORAL DEVELOPMENT OF A CHILD

FAMILY- is a group of people who are related by blood, marriage, adoption or

assimilation. There are different types of families’ e.g. nuclear, single parent and
extended family.

MORAL DEVELOPMENT- is a process by which people learn and understand about

right and wrong ways of behaving

● Family teaches children the right way to behave by showing them how other
people behave. When parents and other adults admire good behaviour or
criticize or condemn bad behaviour, the child learns what is right and wrong
ways of behaving.

● Families have rules that guide children to understand right and wrong bad
behaviour. Good behaviour is normally rewarded with praise and
encouragement and punishment for wrong or bad behaviour.( punishment and
reward).

● Families develop a child morally by explaining to the child how his or her
behaviour affects others. Children begin to understand that their behaviour
affects others too. This helps the child to develop feelings of empathy
(guidance and counseling).
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 ● Children learn right and wrong by observing the actions and behaviour of older
family members, especially their parents. Parents usually teach moral
behaviour by being role models of good behaviour that their children can copy.
Parents who want their children to be honest, kind and generous must behave
in that way too. (Role models).

● Family develops a child morally when adults in the family explain the reasons
for their own behaviour. This helps children understand why they should
behave in one way and not another.

● Families develop children morally by teaching their children the norms and
moral values of their community or society. This helps the child accept rules
that are for the common good and to behave in ways that are acceptable to
society.

NORMS AND VALUES OF FAMILY LIFE IN BOTSWANA

Norms - are rules about what is accepted as normal behaviour by a group of people
or community.

- ATTENDING A RELATIVES FUNERAL

This is a way of showing loyalty to the family members and showing that you are
united. This is expected even if not all family members are loyal to each other.

- WEARING BLACK CLOTHES AFTER THE DEATH OF A HUSBAND

This is a cultural norm which symbolizes grief however; the husband is not expected
to change his attire after the death of his wife, so it can be considered a double
standard.

- RESPECT OF ELDERS
Respect of elders is a cultural value even if the elder is not worth of respect. Younger
members of the family treat their parents and other member’s of the family with
respect. E.g. children are expected to do household chores given to them by a parent.
Children are not expected to talk back to or argue with their parents.

- HAVING MANY CHILDREN

This was a cultural value of the family in the past. Nowadays many people do not want
to have many children because of the financial implications

Values - are the things, ideas and beliefs that are important to an individual or group
of people. The following are some of the values of family life in Botswana;

■ COOPERATION

Cooperation is defined as working together for a common goal. Cooperation is

demonstrated in the everyday lives of families in Botswana however it is considered
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particularly important during social occasions such as funerals and weddings. Some
activities that promote cooperation among Batswana includes molaletsa, motshelo
and letsema. It is also reflected in Setswana sayings such as; ‘setshwarwa ke ntsa
pedi ga se thata’, ‘moroto wa o esi ga o ele’, ‘mabogo dinku a thebana’ etc.

● RESPECT
Respect form the basis of family relations in Botswana. Authority is based on age, the
young respect the old and in turn the old must have self respect and show respect for
the young. This is shown by the saying ‘Susu ilela suswana gore le ene a tle a go ilele”
this means that one should respect other people in order to earn their respect.

● SHARING
Sharing within the families is viewed as the spirit of consideration that is, members
are encouraged to show regard for others. For instance, according to the custom of
mafisa, relatives assist one another by lending or sharing cattle so that everyone can
have milk and use the cattle for ploughing. This is reflected in the Setswana proverb
“Bana ba motho ba kgaogana tlhogwana ya ntsi” which means that nothing is too little
to be shared.

● OBEDIENCE
Listening to what parents and elders say is a very important cultural value in
Botswana. Children are expected to take the advice and follow the instructions of
elders. This is because the community trusts that older people will give children good
and positive advice.

MANAGING FAMILY RESOURCES AND ACTIVITIES

Family resources include all the property and assets that the family owns. This may
include land, houses, savings, business, car, furniture and clothes. Resources are not
only confined to the property but also the family projects and activities become part of
the resources as well. All members of the family have a collective responsibility to
these resources so that they look after them and use them as wisely as possible.

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THE FOLLOWING ARE WAYS IN WHICH FAMILY RESOURCES CAN BE MANAGED;

1. PLANNING AND BUDGETING

A budget is an outlined plan of how to spend the money, or income. A plan is an
arrangement that has been carefully outlined for carrying out some activities
especially in the future. A family then has a clear outline of an intended projects so as
to carefully priorities’ what is more important and budgeting also helps to ensure that
the family does not waste its income.

2. CONSULTATION AND COMMUNICATION

In a typical Setswana family, the father is the head of the family; however this does
not mean that he has the right to make decisions that affect the family on his own. It is
very important that other family members are consulted (asked what they think)
before making a decision so that it would benefit the whole family. All members need
to be able to communicate well with one another. This means having a turn to speak,
and being able to listen to and respect what other members have to say. E.g. if siblings
tells each other that they are going into town to do some shopping, they might realize
that they could use one car and save a lot of money in the process.

3. COOPERATION
There is a saying that “the family that plays together stays together” this means that if
all the members of a family cooperate, and work together towards the same goals,
that family will be stronger. The family will form a close team and there will be less
chance of arguments

4. CARE AND SUPPORT

Care and support are two other important resources that need to be well managed.
The care and support must be mutual and evenly balanced between all members. For
a family to be in harmony there is no room for favoritism. Caring means that you
consider the other persons well being and do not do anything to hurt them.
5. SHARING
This is a very important value that every family member should practice. If family
member consider each other, they will share whatever food is available. Clothes if
taken care of, they can later be used by the younger siblings. This is emphasized by
the setswana proverb “bana ba motho ba kgaogana tlhogwana ya ntsi”
6. SAVING
The responsible use of family resources should not be only about spending money,
but about saving for emergencies, such as funerals or for an important event such as
a wedding. People should save for their old age, so that they are not burden on the
society when they can no longer work.

AGENTS OF CHANGE IN THE COMMUNITY

AGENTS OF CHANGE THAT INFLUENCE BEHAVIOUR

An agent of change is a factor that brings about change. Agents of change influence
the way we behave. Some agents of change that influence the way people behave
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within communities are;

PEERS
Peers are people of the same age; examples of peers are our friends and school
mates. Peers especially our friends’ influence the way we behave, either positively or
negatively. Examples of positive peer influence include encouraging you to work hard
at school and negative peer influence could include peers encouraging you to break
family and rules.

SCHOOLS
Most children go to school nowadays. Schools not only teach different subjects, they
also teach children how to behave, through guiding and counseling them. Schools
influence the behaviour of their learners by making rules about acceptable and
unacceptable behaviour in the school, teachers praising and rewarding good
behaviour and punishing bad behaviour and teaching the correct knowledge about
issues that require behavioral changes such as HIV/ AIDS.

ROLE MODELS
A role model is any person we admire and we want to be like him or her. We look up to
them. People who can be our role models include our parents, brothers, sisters,
political leaders, musicians, sports men and women. Role models may influence our
behaviour in the following ways; good role models help us to make good choices in
life, they inspire us to do better people by imitating their good and moral behaviour.
Bad role models can influence us to behave in bad or wrong ways. By imitating their
behaviour, we too begin to behave badly.

MASS MEDIA
The mass media refers to methods of communicating with the public. Examples of the
mass media are television, radio, films, newspapers and magazines. What we see,
hear, or read influences our behaviour. The mass media can make us aware of
dangerous and bad behaviour and encourage us to change for the better, e.g. road
safety and HIV/AIDS. Advertisements make people aware of how they should behave
to be safe. Some people may want to behave like people they see on the television or
in movies. E.g. if they watch television shows, movies or play video games where
people use violence to settle their conflicts, they may accept this as a good or
normal way of behaving.

CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

As a member of any given community you follow its culture. Your behaviour is
controlled and determined by the values beliefs traditions, customs and norms of that
particular community. You do not exist in isolation but you need recognition and
acceptance, therefore you behave according to the communities expectations.
Religion gives people a sense of purpose and meaning in life. People who are
religious sometimes react differently to a crisis than a person who is not religious
would react. Most religions teach people to forgive others and this may help people to
become tolerant and patient

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 FORTUNE TELLING
Fortune tellers can predict our future for instance if you are told that someone is
bewitching you to fail exams, you are likely to believe it and give up on your studies
hence you fail. Similarly they predict that you have bad luck and will not succeed in
life, you may work extra hard in order to achieve your goals. Fortune telling may have
a positive psychological effect on people in that they may have something to look
forward to. Negatively fortune telling misleads people by giving them false hopes.
When such hopes are not realized people may feel that life is ‘not on their side’

HOW AGENTS OF CHANGE INFLUENCE BEHAVIOUR

- Motivate us to listen to messages that influence behaviour

- Being role models. If the agents of change are individuals and share their life
experiences with us, this may change our behaviour. They can also be role
models for the behaviour that may be copied by their admirers.
- Teaching us behaviour skills, such as assertiveness, decision making and
interpersonal skills
- Creating codes of conduct , rules and laws to guide our behaviour
- Giving us the correct information about issues that need us to change our
behaviour. Examples of issues that require changes in behaviour are: HIV and
AIDS, teenage pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse and conservation of the
environment.

IMPACT OF AGENTS OF CHANGE ON THE INDIVIDUAL FAMILY AND COMMUNITY

AGENT OF INDIVIDUALS FAMILY COMMUNITY

CHANGE
PEERS - peers influence our Peer influence can mean - negative peer pressure can
behaviour because we all that someone has a good result in teenagers in the
have a need to be accepted or bad relationship with his community behaving in anti-
by our peers. Positive peer or her family peers can do social ways, e.g. underage
pressure can lead to good this by encouraging the drinking of alcohol, shoplifting
behaviour while negative person to accept or reject and disrespecting adults
peer pressure can lead to the family’s norms and
bad behaviour values
SCHOOLS - influence learners Can influence the way - the knowledge students get at
behaviour. E.g. they can family treats and cares for schools can be used to change
influence a learners the child. The knowledge the behaviour of some members
values, self esteem, self the child gains from the of the community e.g. children are
confidence, and their way schools can be shared with taught about child abuse and
of thinking and reasoning other family members. E.g. where to report it
a child can explain facts
about HIV & AIDS to family
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 members
ROLE Role models influence Role models within the The values and behaviour learnt
MODELS individuals because people family can motivate other and copied from the role models
who admire them often family members to behave are displayed or expressed as
imitate the way they walk, in certain ways. Parents behaviour within the community.
talk dress and behave are usually role models for Community leaders can have a
their children. The way big impact by influencing
they act and behave behaviour and choices of their
influences the behaviour of people
their children
MASS It can influence the self Media such as television It can have a big impact on the
MEDIA concept and behaviour of have affected family life. community because they are
individuals. They may want E.g. some families have used to influence knowledge,
to be like the people they meals while watching attitudes and behaviour of a
see in the media. They are television and no longer sit community about issues that
persuaded by things they at the dinning table affect a large number of people
see in the media such as HIV/AIDS, crime, road
safety etc

ABSTINENCE
Refers to keeping away or refraining any form of sexual activity or refraining from sex
- abstinence means refraining from or avoiding certain things

VIEW POINTS ON ABSTINENCE

RELIGIOUS VIEW
Abstinence is seen as a way of devotion, e.g. the catholic priests devote their lives to
the service of god by abstaining from sex
Some religious groups encourage abstinence until a person gets married. In most
religions, premarital sex is seen as a sin

CULTURAL VIEW
In most African countries, sexual relationships between boys and girls are not allowed
before marriage. Boys and girls are encouraged to abstain from sex

CELIBACY

The state of being unmarried and abstaining from sexual activity. E.g. fathers and
sisters in the Roman Catholic Church.

REASONS FOR CELIBACY AND CHASTITY

- To practice self control

- To concentrate all one’s energy on achieving a goal
- To practice birth control and avoid the risk of getting STD’s or HIV
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 - To keep one’s virginity until marriage
- To devote ones life fully to the service of god

MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF ABSTINENCE

- People who abstain are respected by other people for being able to control
their sexual feelings. In many communities people who show self control and
self discipline are not only respected but also admired
- People are seen as behaving in a morally acceptable way, if they abstain as
required by their religion or community.
- Abstinence can save lives by reducing the number of people who may become
infected with HIV and die from AIDS.
- Adultery is one of the major reasons married people divorce. Abstaining from
adulterous sex in order to remain faithful to ones spouse can prevent
marriages and families from breaking up
- Teenagers who abstain are not at the risk of having babies before they are
ready and able to take care of the babies- both emotionally and financially

SEX EDUCATION

Abstinence sex education is a form of sex education that focuses only on teaching
young people to abstain from sex until after marriage to the exclusion of all other
types of sexual and reproductive health education particularly regarding birth control
and safe sex.
It emphases the importance of abstaining from sexual intercourse by young children
as it excuse them from sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, abortion and
other negative consequences of pre – marital sexual activity.
Comprehensive sex education
It is a form of sex education that teaches young people about abstinence, and the
advantages of delaying sex until they are older and mature. It also teaches them
about contraception and ways of protecting themselves from STI”S

1.0. VIEWPOINTS ON SEX EDUCATION

People have different views in relation to sex education? The way sexual intercourse
was perceived in the past is different from how it is viewed nowadays. Some parents
do not want to discuss sexual issues with their children while others are open and
willing to discuss the matter with them.

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2.1. Religious Views

Religious people tend to differ from one another even in their teachings about sex.
However, these religious views vary from one religion to the other.
● In some religions, they encourage their members to refrain from sex since
they believe it is a dirty act and demonic e.g. In Christianity sex is regarded as
sacred or very special to be respected. It is seen as a beautiful gift from God,
which demands responsibility, commitment and total love. To a devoted
Christian sex is prohibited before marriage, as such majority of church leaders
encourages sexual abstinence to their followers as they believe it is the best
option.

2.2. Philosophical Views

A philosopher Emmanuel Kant teaches that sex makes a person an object of appetite
and as a result it leads to degradation of human nature. He goes on to say that when
one loves another, all that he wants from that person is nothing else but sex.

Furthermore, Kant teaches that those engaged in sexual activities make themselves
willing into objects of each other merely for the sake of sexual pleasure. As such, both
persons are reduced to the animal level.

2.0 MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF EARLY SEXUAL ACTS

a. Teenage pregnancy – early sexual acts can result in one being mother or
father at an early age. This will rob or take away one’s childhood as one will
have to take full responsibility of his/ her new born baby. In addition, teenagers
who fall pregnant fail to cope with motherhood as they are not yet mature
physically and emotionally.
b. Early sexual acts can lead to transmission of sexually transmitted infections
and HIV/Aids.
c. Early sexual acts can lead to stress from sexual relationships. As stated
earlier, children should abstain from sexual activities as they are not mature
enough to deal effectively with the demands and challenges arising from
sexual relationships. Sometimes others are unable to manage and
communicate their feelings about the situation in their relationships resulting in
depression.
d. Practicing early sexual acts can also lead to one’s aims priorities and goals
being affected. It is very important for one to understand the benefits and
disadvantages of a sexual relationship before getting involved. Teenagers
should focus on their education, passing examinations and having a bright
future. There are many things one can enjoy doing besides having sex,
remember you can just be close to someone without having sex.

3.0. WHY SEX SHOULD BE PERFORMED BY MATURE CONSENTING PEOPLE

● They are old enough to handle the consequences of sex. As you know every
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 action has results, if you take a bad action, you will have bad results, but a good
action leads to good results. So mature people can deal with the results of their
actions in a proper way even if they are bad.
● Sex should be performed by mature consenting people because they are able
to give an informed consent. Sex should be an action that is agreed by both
parties involved. The decision should not be taken by one person. As such,
mature people can agree or disagree to have sex without anyone forcing them
to make that decision.
● In addition, sex should be performed by mature consenting people because
they are able to take care of their own health. As you are aware, unprotected
sexual intercourse can result in transmission of sexually transmitted diseases,
as such, mature people are in a position to take full responsibility of their own
health. For example, they can refuse to have unprotected sex without fear of
loosing a partner or being beaten.
● They are able to stomach the emotional trauma and physical consequences of
having sex. During sexual intercourse, the penis penetrate the vagina, as such,
one should be ready both physically and emotionally. For instance, one’s
physical body should be strong enough to accommodate his/her partner.

3.0. THE MORALITY FORMS OF SEXUAL SATISFACTION

a) Masturbation – some people gets their sexual satisfaction through touching

and fondling their own genital organs or their partner’s genitals.

It can be morally good to masturbate because:

● There are no risks of sexual transmitted infections; there is no sexual
penetration, as such, the body fluids may not get into contact with
thereby resulting in lack of transmission of infections between partners.
● One can also satisfy his/her sex needs at his/her own time and pace. For
instance, one can fondle his/her genitals where he/she gets more
sexual satisfaction at a time and pace that suit him/her.
● No risk of abusive relationships –those who are not involved in any sexual
relationship are free from being oppressed and ill – treated by their
partners and at the same time get sexual satisfaction. There are less
risks of abuse as no one is forced into having sexual intercourse.
● Masturbation is morally acceptable because it helps in keeping one’s
privacy herself or himself. For instance, those with physical disorders
will not undress or expose their bodies to anyone. As such, if there are
any parts in their bodies that they are not comfortable with,
masturbation will help them as they will not be forced to show them to
anyone.
● However, though masturbation is generally good, it also has some
disadvantages; it can delay one to find a life partner. One might indulge
in masturbation for a long time and fail to find a sexual partner. In
addition, procreation will also be delayed.

b) Aggressiveness/aggression – some people get sexual satisfaction through

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 violent means. This is where instead of having a normal sexual intercourse, one
will force his partner to undress then beat her up. Sometimes he will tie her
hands and legs to the bed. During the beatings and crying by the victim, the
aggressor will be gaining sexual satisfaction.

c) Other people gain sexual satisfaction through being watched during sexual
intercourse. Such kind of people usually likes to have sex in an open space and
sometimes inside cars. If they are inside house they will leave doors open or
move curtains aside for someone to be able to view what is inside.

6.0. RESPONSIBLE WAY OF HAVING SEX

Sex should be emphasized by a real commitment between both people involved in the
relationship. It is very important for them to be responsible and accountable for their
actions.

● Those having sex should give consent. If two people are having sex, they both
should have agreed. No one should force the other partner into having sex. This
is due to the fact that having sex has some consequences, as such; consenting
into having sex will lead to one not blaming anyone if things do not go well
during or after sex.

● There should be protection. Nowadays there are so many sexually transmitted

infections, as such; during sexual intercourse partners should both protect
themselves against such infection. It is not easy to tell whether someone has
some STI’s particularly HIV/AIDS by just looking at him/her. That is why it is
advisable to always use protection during sex if you do not know the status of
your partner or you are not ready for commitment.

● Avoiding casual sex or having sex with multiple concurrent partners

● Having sex when one is sober and not drunk or high on illegal drugs, this can
help one to avoid, having sex with strangers, having sex without giving or
seeking consent and failing to use protection to prevent unwanted pregnancies
and spreading or getting sexually transmitted infections
● Making sure there is privacy before engaging in sex because having sex in
public is considered indecent, offensive and immoral

7.0. MORAL IMPLICATION OF HAVING SEX

As you have learnt, having sex raises some moral issues. To some people sex is
unacceptable, while to some is acceptable if done for good reasons.

● Having sex gives one sexual satisfaction. Some people argue that sex is good
activity because it gives pleasure, it erases sexual boredom.
● One can get some sexually transmitted infections through sexual intercourse.
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 As mentioned above, you cannot tell if your partner has some sexual infections, as
such, if one has unprotected sex, it is easy to contract or acquire some
infections. People who are sexually active can be exposed to some sexual
diseases if they do not take the necessary precautions.
● Another moral implication of having sex is; it can lead to unwanted pregnancy.
Some people have unprotected sex though they do not want children. Having
said that, it is very important for one to wait for the right time to have sex as
one will be ready to face all the consequences that come with having sex.
● Though some people believe that having sex for pleasure is not acceptable,
others argue that it is good as one can meet the rightful partners. They point
out that some partners can end up having long term stable relationship though
they started with just casual sex for pleasure.

8.0. ADVANTAGES OF WAITING FOR THE RIGHT TIME TO HAVE SEX

If you are not involved in any sexual acts, I guess by now you know the benefits. If you
are still young and you are already involved in sexual relationships that include sex,
you can quit. It is not too late to quit, especially after learning about the moral
implications of early sexual acts and why sex should be performed by mature
consenting people.

The following are some of the reasons of waiting for the right time to have sex;

● Free from unplanned pregnancy. Pregnancy is a demanding situation that

needs one to be ready. One should know that being sexually active does not
mean that one is physically, emotionally and financially ready to bear a child.
Pregnancy needs planning so that one will be aware of the necessary
requirements of an expectant mother and her baby. As such, refraining from
sex at an early age will free one from unwanted or unplanned pregnancy which
might lead to negative social ills like abortions suicide and others.
● Free from sexually transmitted infections. Waiting for the right time to have
sex free one from STI’s. I hope you still remember those examples of sexually
transmitted infections that you learnt in the moral implications of having sex.
So if you abstain from sex, you will be protecting yourself from such infections
like gonorrhea. Be aware that anyone, even you can get HIV/AIDS and STI’s if
there is no prevention.
● Another advantage of waiting for the right time to have sex is that one will
focus on his/her goals and priorities. If you have considered sexual abstinence
as the best option, it will be easy to achieve your goals and targets. You will
have enough time to focus on your studies without being disturbed by boyfriend
or girlfriend.

9.0. FACTORS AFFECTING SEXUAL NEGOTIATION AND DECISION MAKING

A. NON – MATERIAL FACTORS

● Myths – Myths are ideas and stories that many people believe but are not
true. Children can get such ideas and information regarding sex which is
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 incorrect. For example; there is a saying that a girl can not fall pregnant when
having unprotected sex while standing up. This is not true, one’s sitting or
standing position does not prevent pregnancy. That is why it is very important
to learn more about sex and dispel its myths. This will help one to avoid always
depending on other people. It is advisable to always ask for help if you are not
sure about some sexual matters. Nurses, teachers and social workers are
always willing to teach and provide you with information regarding sex.
● Immaturity – some teenagers are unable to make the right decisions because
they are still young. For example, some girls never say no to sex even when
they do not want to have sex because they believe that relationships are all
about sex. As mentioned earlier, it is very important to abstain from sex and
wait for the right time when you are old enough to make well informed and
right decisions.
● Peer – pressure – age- mates or peers can influence one another to do bad or
good things. In most cases, peers can influence one another negatively. Peers
like to force others into having sexual intercourse. Some peers will be afraid of
being rejected by their friends and as a result they end up agreeing into having
sex though they do not want to. They will have sex just to please their age-
mates.
● Gender roles and expectations
In many cultures females are socialized to be submissive to males. As a
result man makes the decisions concerning sexual matters and women
tolerate men being unfaithful. Women are unable to negotiate the use of
contraceptives or insist that a man should remain faithful
● AGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SEXUAL PARTNERS
When a young person engages in a sexual relationship with a much older
person decisions about sex about sex are usually made by the older person.
The young person may therefore find it difficult to negotiate the use of
contraceptive, and when and where to have sex, as a result the young
person may engage in unprotected sex.

B. MATERIAL FACTORS
Material factors affecting sexual negotiations and decision making are;
a) Money – some people indulge in sexual relationships for money. They get
deceived that they will be offered money after sex. Though some are given
money after having sex, it is immoral to neither buy nor sell sex.
b) Possession of goods – some young people believe that having some
properties and money are the most important things in life. For example, a
cell phone, certain clothing labels are the must have to some teenagers. As
a result, some of them end up having sex with older people in return of such
goods.
c) Alcohol and drug abuse – excessive intake of drugs and alcohol is another
material factor that is affecting sexual negotiations and decision making.
Alcohol and drugs are very expensive and addictive. Since it can be very
difficult to stop taking drugs, some people may end up having sex with
others for money so that they can buy drugs. In addition, alcohol and drugs
can lead to loss of physical control over one’s actions which can result in one
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 being raped.

LIFE SKILLS USED TO CHANGE PEOPLES ATTITUDE TOWARDS SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR

● DECISION MAKING SKILLS

Decision making skills can help people change their attitudes towards unhealthy
and morally unacceptable sexual behaviour. This is because decision making
involves understanding the consequences of the choices one makes. If people
understands that their attitude leads them to engage in sexual behaviour that can
result in life threatening STI”S such as HIV or damage their social relationships,
they are likely to change their attitude.
● ASSERTIVENESS
Assertive communication between sexual partners can help to change attitude
towards sexual behaviour such as having as having multi concurrent partners,
casual sex, and the refusal to use a condoms. Partners, who talk to each other
honestly about such sexual behaviour, will make each other aware of the negative
consequences of engaging in such behaviour. This can lead to a change in attitude
as well as sexual behaviour.

● NEGOTIATION SKILLS
Negotiation means to reach an agreement through compromise. Through
negotiation a partner can be persuaded to change his or her negative attitude
towards condom use. If they accept the need to use condoms, they are likely to
change their attitude and always have safe sex instead of unprotected sex.

● STRESS MANAGEMENT SKILLS

Stress management skills can help change the attitude that it is acceptable to have
casual sex and multiple concurrent partners to relieve stress. Stress management
skills can help people deal with their stress without engaging in casual sex or
multiple concurrent partnerships.

● EMPATHY BUILDING
Empathy is the ability to put oneself in someone else’s situation and imagine how
he or she is feeling. Empathy enables us to appreciate how our attitudes and
behaviour affect other people. People are likely to change their attitude, if they
understand how their sexual behaviour is negatively affecting their sexual partners
and other people around them.

THE USE OF A CONDOM

There are two types of condoms, those used by males and those used by females.

MALE CONDOM
Male condom is a sheath which is closed at one end and fits over a mans erect
penis
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 FEMALE CONDOM
A female condom is a sheath which a woman inserts inside her vagina. It is also
referred to as a femidom

MEASURES OF EFFECTIVE CONDOM USE

● Store unused condoms in a cool dry place out of direct heat and sunlight.
● Check the expiry date of the condom on the packet. Do not use expired
condoms because they are not safe to use. They may tear easily

● Open the packet of the condoms carefully. Do not open the packet with your
teeth or a sharp object such as a pair of scissors.

● Read the leaflet with instructions that is inside the condom packet, on how to
use and put on a condom correctly and carefully. Condoms are only effective
they are used correctly.

● If the condom tears or is put on incorrectly, remove it and use a new one.

● A new condom should be used every time one has sexual intercourse. Never
reuse a condom.

● Keep the condom on until sexual intercourse is complete

● Dispose the used condoms properly. Wrap the condom in toilet paper and
throw it away in a bin or pit latrine. Do not flush it down a toilet.

MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF CONDOM USAGE

Condoms prevent pregnancy – some people believe that it is morally

acceptable to use condoms to prevent pregnancy if one does not want or is not
ready to have a baby. It helps in family planning and enables individuals to
control their own fertility

Condoms are the only form of protection that can prevent the spread of
sexually transmitted infections, such as HIV. This can help discordant partners
(where one is infected with HIV while the other is not) to stay together because
the infected partner can use condoms to avoid infecting his or her partner.

Condoms create a moral dilemma for some people. Using condoms to prevent
the spread of STI’s such as HIV prevents pregnancy at the same time, not using
condoms to fall pregnant, means exposing oneself and the unborn baby to the
risk of becoming infected with STI’S including HIV, or transmitting such
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 infections to one’s sexual partner.

Some people may become promiscuous and engage in casual sex knowing
that they can use condoms to prevent unwanted pregnancies and STI’s

Condoms are not 100% safe. If a condom is not used correctly or is of poor
quality, it can result in an unwanted pregnancy which may lead to an unsafe
abortion. The person is also at risk of getting STI’s and HIV/AIDS

SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS
- refers to the connection between two people who engage in sexual acts

DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN HETEROSEXUALITY, BISEXUALITY AND

HOMOSEXUALITY

HETEROSEXUALITY
Means being sexually attracted to members of the opposite sex, men are usually
attracted to women, and women are sexually attracted to women

BISEXUALITY
Means being sexually attracted to members of both sexes, a man would be attracted
to both men and women, while a woman would be attracted to both women and men.

HOMOSEXUALITY
Means being sexually attracted to people of the same sex, men are usually attracted
to other men, and women are sexually attracted to other women. A homosexual
person especially men are known as being “gay” while women are known as “lesbians”

REASONS ADVANCED FOR SEXUAL ORIENTATIONS

REASONS FOR HOMOSEXUALITY

● PERSONAL CHOICE- some people may prefer to develop sexual relations with
people of the same sex

● BIOLOGICAL- some people may question their gender and upbringing that is a
person may be biologically structured like a woman but feels like a man

● most homosexual people believe that they are born as homosexuals i.e. it is
genetic and natural

● DOMINATION- historically some have tried to dominate and oppress women

and this may encourage some females to prefer some sexual relations with
other females where there is less domination and oppression

● CHANGING ATTITUDES- some societies and countries are now more tolerant
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 to such relationships and this can encourage others because to be gay is
acceptable and even fashionable. This can also be influenced by the media.

REASONS FOR HETEROSEXUALITY

● Most people have heterosexual relationships because they believe that males
and females are biologically attracted to each other

● Many people believe that one main purpose of sexual intercourse is

procreation ie. To produce children

● Many people believe that it is universally accepted sexual relationship which is

commonly practiced in all cultures

● Most religions discourage people from other forms of sexual relationships. i.e.
homosexuality or bisexuality

REASONS FOR BISEXUALITY

● Some people are forced by the societies they come from to engage in this
type of sexual relationship. If the society is intolerant of homosexuality, some
people who feel sexually attracted to people of the same sex are forced to hide
their true sexual orientation by having heterosexual relationships openly, while
at the same time engaging in homosexual relationship in secret

● Some people may want to experiment with how it feels to have a sexual
relationships with people of both sexes as they may be unsure of their genetic
sexuality

● Some people are sexually attracted to both men and women naturally

● Some people discover that they are sexually attracted to people of the same
sex after they are already in a heterosexual relationship. Some people could be
married and have children and such people may find it very hard to give up the
relationship or to suppress their sexual orientation and as a result may end
being bisexual

MORAL IMPLICATIONS

HOMOSEXUALITY
● Many societies reject this type of sexual orientation because they consider it
to be unnatural and therefore immoral. Homosexual may feel forced to have
heterosexual relationship, or to remain single, in order to hide their true sexual
orientation or keep their homosexual relationship secret.

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 ● Some societies such as south Africa respect and protect the right to sexual
orientation. In such countries homosexuality is accepted as a human right and
most people do not judge it as morally wrong.

● Homosexuality does not allow procreation. Some homosexual couples who

want children either adopt, or use artificial insemination or a surrogate mother.
Their children may become confused because they will be raised by two
parents of the same sex.

HETEROSEXUALITY

● Since heterosexuality is considered the natural way to have sex and to

procreate, it is considered morally right. It allows the continuation of the family
and human race. Many people and some religions believe that a sexual
orientation which does not allow the possibility of procreation is morally wrong.

● In many societies marriage is defined as, the legal union between a man and a
woman as husband and wife. As a result only heterosexual marriages are
accepted and recognized as normal and morally right.

BISEXUALITY

● It can lead to conflict with ones sexual partner who is not bisexual. It can
damage his or her self esteem and self confidence.

● People who are bisexuals can be rejected in societies that consider

homosexuality to be unnatural and immoral

SEXUAL PRACTICES

SEXUAL PRACTICES AND THEIR MORAL IMPLICATIONS

Below are some sexual practices and their moral implications.

ADULTERY

Adultery is when a person in a monogamous marriage engages in sexual intercourse

with somebody who is not his or her spouse. When two married people who are not
each other’s spouses engage in sexual intercourse with an unmarried person, it is the
married person who is committing adultery.

The moral implications of adultery

● Adultery is considered morally wrong and unacceptable because it is seen as

a betrayal of trust and breaking one’s marriage vows to be sexually faithful to
one’s spouse.
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 ● Adultery leads to lack of trust between a husband and a wife. This may
eventually lead to conflicts which may either result in domestic violence or
divorce.
● It may cause the children of the couple and the spouse who is faithful
emotional pain and mental stress. The children may feel that they lack
attention from the parent who is having an extra marital affair. The faithful
spouse may feel angry at the betrayal of trust and their marriage vows.
● The adulterer may lose the respect of his or her children, family members,
friends and members of the community. If the adulterer is an important
member of the community or society, people will no longer consider him or her
as a good role model, especially for the youth.
● Adultery increases the risks of getting sexually transmitted infections,
including HIV and infecting one’s spouse. Some of these infections are life
threatening or cause infertility.
● A husband or wife may end up killing his or her spouse due to the anger and
emotional pain caused by the adultery. This may result in the problem of
orphan hood because the person may after killing his or her spouse, commit
suicide.
● Adultery may result in the misuse of family resources. Those who commit
adultery may spend money on their adulterous relationships and fail to take
proper care of their family.

Fornication
Fornication refers to the sexual practice of unmarried people having sexual
intercourse. Fornication is also known as premarital sex.

Moral implications of fornication

● In many religions and societies, people believe that sex should only take
place within marriage. Fornication is therefore considered to be immoral or
sinning against God’s will.
● Fornication can result in unwanted and unplanned pregnancy. A woman
who does not want to have the baby may end up committing abortion. In
most cases, the woman is left with the responsibility of raising the child on
her own. If the woman does not have the means to support the child, other
relatives are expected to help care for the child. This puts an burden on the
resources of the relatives.
● Fornication can contribute to the spread of sexually transmitted infections.
● A sexual relationship between two people, who are not married to each
other, can break up easily. They can also easily become unfaithful to each
other. No matter how much time the sexual relationship lasts for, one
partner can easily leave and start a relationship with someone else.
● Fornication involves becoming sexually intimate with someone without
any formal or legal agreement bonding the two people in the relationship.
As a result, the sexual partners do not have the same rights and
responsibilities towards each other that a married couple would have. For
example, one does not have the right to inherit property on the death of
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 one’s partner, unless he or she has said it in a will.

RAPE

Rape is the crime of forcing someone to have sex. Both males and females can be
raped.

Moral implications of rape

● Rape is considered morally wrong and a crime in most countries because it

violates the person’s right to say no to sex and to choose whom to have sexual
intercourse with.
● Rape puts the victim at risk of being infected with STI’s including HIV. Currently
HIV has no known cure and can be a life threatening infection. A victim can die
from AIDS.
● It causes emotional and mental trauma to the victim. This can damage the
person’s self – esteem and self – confidence. The person may become
withdrawn.
● Female, who are raped by men, often lose trust in men. As a result, this may
affect their sexual and social relationships with other men.
● Rape usually involves the use of violence in order to force the victim to have
sexual intercourse with the rapist. Violence is considered morally wrong.
● Some victims of rape are forced to hide the fact that they were raped because
they fear being blamed for being raped, being stigmatized, or losing the chance
of getting married.

INCEST

Incest refers to sexual activity between family members who are closely related by
blood, for example, brothers and sisters, parents and children. According to the law in
Botswana, incest is having sexual intercourse with someone who is one’s grandchild,
child, brother, sister or parent.

Moral implications of incest

● Incest is considered morally wrong and unacceptable conduct in most

societies.
● Incest can cause emotional and mental trauma to the victim especially if the
victim is a child or did not give consent to have sex with the other person. As a
result, some may find it difficult to form stable relationships.
● Incest usually involves an older person having sex with a much younger
relative. The young person becomes engaged in a sexual relationship at a
young age which may harm their sexual health.
● It brings shame to the family. It may also make the victim of the incest feel
ashamed, even if they are not to blame for what happened to them. This is
because most societies and cultures consider incest as an immoral conduct.
● Children born as a result of incest have a higher risk of suffering from mental
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 and physical disabilities because close relatives have the same genes. These
disabilities can make them have a poor quality of life. For example, they may
never be able to go to school or work.
● Incest can result in conflict between family members. For example, when a
father has sex with his daughter, conflict may arise between:
● The mother and the daughter. The mother may blame the daughter for
having sex with her father, while the daughter may blame the mother
for not protecting her from her father.
● The man and his wife because the wife may blame him for abusing
their daughter and may even divorce him.
● The man and other family members who disapprove of and conderm
his behaviour.

MASTURBATION

Remember in chapter three of this book, we said masturbation is stimulating the

genitals with one’s hands, in order to achieve sexual pleasure. Self masturbation
involves stimulating oneself, while mutual masturbation involves two people
stimulating each other.

Moral implications of masturbation

● Some people believe that sexual pleasure should be achieved only with a
partner. They consider masturbation as a selfish sexual practice therefore
immoral.
● Some religions teaches that the only morally acceptable reason for having sex
is to procreate and that sex should only take place within marriage. They
consider masturbation as morally wrong because it does not lead to
procreation.
● Other people believe that masturbation is morally acceptable because it does
not cause any physical or mental harm to individuals. It is a natural way of
releasing sexual tension. They argue that masturbation has many advantages.
For example:
● Masturbation can help young people wait until they are emotionally and
mentally mature to have sexual intercourse.
● It can help people deal with their sexual desires without involving another
person.
● Masturbation can help to control the spread of STI’s, including HIV.

PROSTITUTION

Prostitution is the act of engaging in sexual activities for payment in cash or in kind.
Prostitution is also known as commercial sex work. A person who offers sexual
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services for payment is called a prostitute or commercial sex worker. Both men and
women can be commercial sex workers.

Moral implications of prostitution

● Many people consider prostitution to be an immoral sexual practice because it

involves buying and selling sex whereas, sex should only take place within a
loving relationship between two people.
● Prostitution dehumanizes sexual relations. The prostitute and the client
usually do not know, care about, or love each other. The prostitute is concerned
about getting paid and the client is only concerned about gaining sexual
pleasure.
● Prostitutes and their clients are not respected by other people in the society.
● Prostitution puts both prostitute and the client at a higher risk of becoming
infected with sexually transmitted infections such as HIV because some clients
demand and are willing to pay a higher fee for unprotected sex.
● Some prostitutes and people who pay them for sexual services have steady
sexual partners or are married. Prostitution undermines faithfulness in a sexual
relationship, especially marriage.
● In many countries prostitution is a crime. Prostitutes are vulnerable to abuse
and exploitation by their clients because they are engaged in an illegal sexual
practice and may be afraid to report the abuse to the police.

BESTIALITY

Bestiality refers to a person having sex with an animal.

Usually cases of bestiality involve using domestic animals such as dogs, cows, goats,
and donkeys.

Moral implications of bestiality

● Bestiality is considered immoral because it is against the order of nature. It is
unnatural for people to have sex with animals and people who engage in
bestiality are regarded as being abnormal or mentally disturbed. In most
countries, including Botswana bestiality is a crime.
● Bestiality is regarded as abuse of animals because animals cannot give
consent to have sex with human beings.
● Religions teach that bestiality is wrong and sinful, therefore it is immoral to
have sex with an animal and those who engage in it are considered sinners.

SODOMY
Sodomy is another term for anal sexual intercourse. It is defined as a sexual act in
which a man puts his penis in to somebody else’s anus for sexual pleasure. A man can
have anal sexual intercourse with another man or with a woman.

Moral implications of sodomy

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 ● Some people believe that sodomy is unnatural because biologically the anus
is not meant for sexual intercourse but for excretion of faeces. Sodomy is
therefore considered as morally wrong and unacceptable sexual practice. In
some countries, including Botswana, sodomy is a crime punishable by law.
● Some religions consider sodomy as immoral and sinful because it does not
allow procreation and is condemned by God as sinful.
● Sodomy puts sexual partners at a higher risk of contracting sexually
transmitted infections.

PAEDOPHILIA
Paedophilia refers to the condition of adults being sexually attracted to and engaging
in sexual activities with young children. A person who commits the act of paedophilia
is known as a paedophile.

Moral implications of paedophilia

● Paedophilia is considered immoral because it is the sexual abuse of children

who are not sexually mature and old enough to give consent to have sex with
an adult.
● Children can suffer from emotional and mental trauma as a result of being
sexually abused by an adult. This is because children are not emotionally and
mentally mature to engage in sexual activity.
● Paedophilia can put the health and life of young children in danger. They may
suffer from internal physical injuries and become infected with sexually
transmitted infections such as HIV.
● Often, those who sexually abuse children are people who are close to them
and their families. They are usually people the children and their families trust.
One reason why paedophilia is considered immoral is because the paedophiles
abuse the trust the child and his or her family has in him or her.
● Paedophilia can lead to murder because after having sex with a child, a
paedophile may kill the child in order to prevent the child from identifying his or
her abuser.

DEFILEMENT

To defile means to make something dirty or no longer pure. Defilement is the act of
having sex with an underage child. When adults have sex with underage children
they are believed to be defiling them because a child is sexually pure.

Moral implications of defilement

● Defilement is regarded as sexual abuse of children because usually it

involves adults forcing them to engage in early sexual acts. Any sexual
abuse of children is considered immoral.
● Defilement exposes children to sexually transmitted infections, including
HIV. Some children may become infected with HIV and develop aids and die.
● Defilement destroys the future of a child. Children who have reached
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 puberty may fall pregnant. As a result, they become single mothers at a very
young age and are forced to drop out of school. Some may never return to
school to continue their education and are limited to low paying jobs later in
life.
● Children can suffer from emotional and mental trauma as a result of being
sexually abused by an adult. Children are not emotionally and mentally
mature to engage in sexual activity.
● Defilement can have a negative impact on a child’s future sexual life when
they become adults. Some may find it difficult to form healthy sexual
relationships because of the physical and emotional trauma of being
sexually abused.
● Defilement can cause internal physical injuries, especially if the child is
very young.

SEXUAL VIOLENCE
Sexual violence refers to any sexual act or practice that involves one person (the
perpetrator) forcing, hurting or abusing another person (the victim). Examples of
sexual practices that can involve violence by a perpetrator against a victim are: rape,
incest, paedophilia, defilement, sexual harassment, and sexual slavery.

Although both males and females can be victims and perpetrators of sexual violence,
often it is females who are the victims and males the perpetrators. The perpetrator of
sexual violence can be someone the victim knows or a stranger.

CONSEQUENCES OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE

Sexual violence has immediate and long – term consequences for the victim, the
perpetrator and the families of both the perpetrator and the victim.

THE VICTIMS

CONSEQUENCES OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE ON THE VICTIMS.

● Victims are at a higher risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections
including HIV.
● If the victim is a woman, she may become pregnant. The pregnancy will
be unintended or unwanted and as a result, she may risk her life and
health by undergoing an unsafe abortion.
● Victims may suffer physical injuries, for example, a woman may suffer
injuries to her reproductive system.
● Victims may suffer from stress and depression because of their traumatic
experiences
● Damages the victim’s self- esteem and self confidence.
● Victims of sexual violence may be stigmatized and face rejection by their
partners, husbands families and communities
● It can lead to murder of the victim

CONSEQUENCES ON THE PERPETRATOR

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 ● May be imprisoned if found guilty of such an act
● May loose their jobs
● The perpetrator may contract sexually transmitted infections including HIV
● It brings shame and upon the family and community as a result the
perpetrators family and community may reject him or her

MARRIAGE AND FAMILY LIFE

Marriage is a legally approved union between two individuals, most commonly of the
opposite sex

REASONS FOR MARRIAGE

People marry for different reasons. They may marry for personal social, religious or
economic reasons.

a) PERSONAL REASONS
- Feel they area deeply in love with their partners and wants to show or prove their
love by making a long life commitment to their partners.

- it is a safe environment for procreation and nurturing of children

Believe that sex and procreation are only morally acceptable within marriage. They
get married in order to start a family in a morally acceptable way.

- Believe that being faithful to each other in marriage can reduce the risk of
contracting STi’s especially HIV.

- makes the relationship secure , especially for women

- wants to become well known for example marrying a famous or popular musician

B) SOCIAL REASONS

It is norm for adults to marry at a certain age within their community, their families
and friends may put pressure on them to marry.

They want to continue the family lineage; in many societies it is the sons born within
wedlock to carry the family name.

Marriage in most communities gives married people special rights and status, for
example in Botswana only married people re allowed to attend a marriage custom
called patlo.

C) ECONOMIC REASONS
some people marry in order to gain financial security. They usually someone who has
more money than them and is therefore able to provide for all the family needs and
wants

some people marry in order to have a higher standard of living than they would have
on their own
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in some societies children born out of wedlock are not allowed to inherit their parents
property and wealth. People may therefore marry to ensure that when they die their
children become the rightful heirs of their property and wealth

D) RELIGIOUS REASONS

Religions such as Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism teach that

- sex should only happen within marriage, therefore followers of such religions
may marry in order to obey the teachings o their religions
- Procreation should only happen within marriage and that it is wrong to have
children before marriage. Followers may marry in order to avoid having
children out of wedlock

THE MORAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF

MARRIAGE

MONOGAMY
- it means having one spouse at a time
- when a person marries one partner
MORAL IMPLICATIONS
- It requires total commitment to ones partner and therefore they are likely to trust and
respect each other
- monogamy requires sexual exclusiveness therefore the couple is expected to be
faithful to each other and reduce the spread of STI’s including HIV.
- in many societies there are more man than women therefore it means that some
women will never have a chance to marry and as a result they are forced to engage in
premarital sex and to become single mothers

SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS
- It is the only socially and legally accepted type of marriage. If a person
marries more than one person at a time, he or she would be guilty of a crime
called bigamy.
- Helps control the number of children a couple can have
- The couple can remain childless if one or both of them are infertile.

ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS

- It is likely to be financially manageable because they may have a small family

and the family resources are mainly used to provide for this family, and can
have a higher standard of living as a result.
- It is easier to ensure that all the children have a share of the wealth that the
parents leave when they die.
- The death of a spouse who is the main breadwinner may result in poverty

POLYGAMY
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 - It means being married to more than one partner.

There are two kinds of polygamy; Polygyny – which means when a man has more
than one wife and Polyandry- which means when a woman has more than one
husband

MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF POLYGAMY

- in some religions or cultures it is moral to have many children. In Muslim

culture, children are seen as a blessing from god.
- Some cultures say sex with more than one partner is immoral
- The risk of contracting STI’s are very high as there are multiple sexual partners
- Older wife’s and children may be neglected for younger ones
- There may be less chance of adultery

SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS

- High status comes with a big family in traditional communities

- It is more certain that the family name will be carried throughout many
generations
- Jealousy and competition are common as spouses fight for attention and
resources

ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS

- A big family provides labour, security and child and old age care
- Poorer families may be unable to care properly for all members
- Division of property may be a problem if the head/breadwinner dies
-
MARRIAGE IN COMMUNITY OF PROPERTY
Marriage in community of property means a husband and wife jointly own all the
property they each had before marriage, as well as any property they may acquire
during the marriage
MORAL IMPLICATIONS

● Co ownership of property suggests that there is love and commitment in the

marriage.
● It reduces greediness and selfishness between spouses
● When one spouse dies there nay be no conflicts over inheritance because the
remaining spouse and children are the rightful beneficiaries
● Some people may take advantage marriage in community of property. There
are people who marry in order to inherit the property of their spouses. Others
may marry to benefit from the spouses wealth
● Disputes over ownership of property may result when marriage partners
divorce
● Co- ownership of property may encourage both spouses to take care of their
property and avoid misusing it
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 ● If one spouse is financially irresponsible the family may loose all its property
in order to pay any debts that he or she may have.

MARRIAGE OUT OF COMMUNITY OF PROPERTY

Marriage out of community of property means when the husband and wife do not
have joint ownership of property and are not responsible for each others debts

MORAL IMPLICATIONS

- The concern of individual accumulation of property may become more

important than the marriage itself. spouses may become more concerned
about accumulating property and forget to give each other attention
- It can result in an unhealthy competition between the husband and the wife,
such competition can results in conflicts that may lead to divorce
- It may encourage selfishness. A person may not allow his or her spouse to
take or use what belongs to them
- spouses that feels forced to marry out of community of property, may think
that their spouses does not trust or love them enough to share what they have
with them. They may doubt that the marriage is a life long commitment
- the death of a spouse may result in inheritance disputes over jointly owned
property. This may happen if there is no proof that the property was jointly paid
for and owned.

TEENAGE PREGNANCY

Teenage pregnancy refers to the pregnancy of girls from the age of 13 to 19 years old.

FACTORS LEADING TO TEENAGE PREGNANCY

PEER PRESSURE
Some teenagers are influenced by their peers to engage in early sexual acts. Those
who are unable to resist such negative peer pressure may end up falling pregnant.

INFLUENCE OF THE MASS MEDIA

Many people believe that the mass media influences people’s behaviour, especially
young people. By seeing people engaging in sexual activity in films, television shows,
in magazines and on the internet, some teenagers can be influenced to engage in sex.

CURIOSITY ABOUT SEX

Many teenagers are curious to know about sex. They may go on to have sexual
intercourse in order to satisfy their curiosity and end falling pregnant as a result

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 LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE PROPER USE OF CONTRACEPTIVES
Some teenagers do not know how to use contraceptives correctly. E.g. condoms. As a
result of incorrect use of the contraceptive some teenage girls become pregnant

USE OF ILLEGAL DRUGS AND ALCOHOL

Some teenagers do use illegal drugs such as marijuana and drink alcohol. When they
are drunk or high on drugs, they are likely to indulge in risk behaviours including
unprotected sex which may lead to teenage pregnancy.

LACK OF ACCESS TO CONTRACEPTIVES

It is sometimes difficult for teenager’s to access contraceptives. This can be due to
them feeling embarrassed to buy condoms in public places such as shops, or fear
being judged as being immoral by adults and peers when they collect contraceptives
from a clinic. At times it may simply due to that contraceptives are just not accessible
in their locality. This lack of access may lead teenagers into having unprotected sex
and then become pregnant

Other factors may include the following

- myths about sex
- older men who entice young girls
- lack of assertiveness
- rape and sexual abuse
- poverty and the need for money for cause young girls to become sex workers

EFFECTS OF TEENAGE PREGNANCY

1. ON THE VICTIM (THE PREGNANT TEENAGER)

Drop out of school

A pregnant teenager has to drop out of school until after she gives birth and is
physically ready to resume her studies. However not all teen mothers do return to
school for some having a baby is the end of their formal schooling. This affects the
kind of jobs they get in future. Many end up in working in low paying jobs because
they do not have the necessary qualifications to get better paying jobs

RISK OF COMPLICATIONS DURING PREGNANCY AND DELIVERY

Although teenagers are able to fall pregnant their bodies are still, growing and not
mature enough to cope with the demands pregnancy places on the body. Teenagers
are at a higher risk of developing complications during the delivery of the baby

EMOTIONAL EFFECT
Teenagers may suffer emotionally because pregnant teenagers are often
stigmatized. Some of them may be rejected by their families and have little or no
support during the pregnancy and the baby is born. This is because some parents may
be embarrassed and reluctant to take on the extra costs of looking after the pregnant
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teen and her baby

RISKS OF CONTRACTING DISEASES

Teenage pregnancy is a consequence of having unprotected sex. A teenager can
become infected with sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) including HIV. The baby
may also become infected.

LOSS OF FREEDOM
A teen mother has to spend time taking care of her baby. She has to take full
responsibiliti9es of motherhood at an early age. As a result she has less time to spend
with her friends and to enjoy life as a young person.

POVERTY
Teenage pregnancy can lead to poverty especially for those girls who were not able to
resume their studies and those that are from poor family background.

There is a greater chance of the girl remaining unmarried even if the girl did not want
to, after having an unplanned pregnancy, due to the attitudes in the society.

2. ON THE CULPRIT

HE HAS TO PROVIDE FOR THE CHILDS NEEDS

According to the law of Botswana a man has to pay for the child’s needs even if he
does not intend to marry the mother of his child. The courts can set the amount of the
money he has to pay the mother of the child every month. If he fails to make the
payments he can be jailed.

HE MAY FACE A CHARGE OF DEFILEMENT

If the teenage girl is a minor (a person under 16 years) and the culprit is an adult, he
may be arrested and charged with defilement.

HE MAY BE BLAMED BY THE FAMILY OF THE TEENAGE GIRL

This is because the teenager’s family may feel that he has ruined their child’s future
more especially when the teenager is a student.

TEENAGE PREGNANCY MAY CAUSE CONFLICTS AMONG MARRIED PEOPLE

If the culprit is married, this may cause conflicts between him and his wife because it
means he was being unfaithful. It may even lead to divorce.
If the culprit is also a teenager, he may be affected in the following ways.
He may be forced to drop out of school and if he does not return to school to complete
his studies, this may affect his future negatively.
He may feel embarrassed about becoming a father at such a young age.
He may become emotionally stressed because it means he had unprotected sex and
may have exposed himself to the risk of becoming infected with STI’s, including HIV.

3. THE FAMILIES

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When a teenage girl falls pregnant both the family of the girl and the culprit are
affected.
Below are some of the effects.

IT MAY BRING SHAME TO THE FAMILY

The family may feel embarrassed to have their teenage daughter fall pregnant or
their teenage son become a father at such a young age.

FAMILIES CARRY THE BURDEN OF CARING FOR THE CHILD

Most teenagers depend on their families to provide them with everything they need.
Usually, the baby lives with the teen mother and her family, and they bear most of the
responsibility of caring for the child. If the culprit is a teenager, his family may help
provide financially for his child. However, sometimes the baby is left with the culprit
and his family. They have to care for the child.

MAY RESULT IN CONFLICTS BETWEEN PARENTS

In some families, when their teenage daughter falls pregnant, the father and mother
of the teenager may blame each other for not being good role models or providing
proper guidance to the child. This may lead to conflicts between the parents.

THE FAMILY OF THE CULPRIT MAY HAVE TO PAY COMPENSATION TO THE FAMILY
OF TEENAGE GIRL
Culturally, the family of the culprit has to pay a fine to the girl’s family for damaging
her.
In the past the payment was in the form of cow (kgomo ya tlhagela). Nowadays,
money can be paid instead.

4. THE SOCIETY

LOSS OF FINANCIAL RESOURCES

The government of Botswana spends a lot of money on the education of young people.
When pregnant teenagers drop out of school, they are allowed to return to school. As
a result, the government has to spend additional money to enable them to repeat the
year they missed while on maternity leave. The money which could have been spent
on other developments is used to pay for additional educational, maternity and child
care costs.

NEGATIVE IMPACT ON HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

Each country needs citizens who are educated and skilled. However teenage
pregnancy may result in some teenagers dropping from school and not being able to
continue with their studies. If a teenager does not return to school, her education will
be incomplete.
Society will not benefit fully from her potential talents and abilities because her
education is incomplete.

Some of those who continue with their studies after pregnancy may not be able to
perform to their potential because they may have to divide their attention between
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child caring and their studies. As a result of this, the country loses potential people
who could be educated and skilled to contribute to the development of their country.

INCREASES POVERTY LEVELS IN SOCIETY

Some teenagers who fall pregnant do not go back to school to complete their
education. They end up either being unemployed or working in low paying jobs
because they do not have the necessary qualifications to get better paying jobs. As a
result, they are more likely to live in poverty and depend on government social welfare
programmes for survival.

SINGLE PARENTHOOD
Teenage pregnancy is often unplanned. As a result, the number of single mothers and
fathers in society increases. Children of teenagers usually face many challenges
growing up because most teens do not have adequate parenting skills.

STRATEGIES TO PREVENT TEENAGE PREGNANCY

PROVIDING COMPREHENSIVE SEX EDUCATION TO LEARNERS

Young people should be taught about the importance of sexual abstinence and also
about contraceptives, especially condoms, and their proper use. Condoms, if used
properly, can prevent both pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.
Comprehensive sex education will enable young people who choose not to abstain, to
make informed choices about how to prevent pregnancy.

ASSERTIVENESS TRAINING

Teenagers should be taught how to communicate and behave assertively so that they
are able to resist negative peer pressure to become sexually active at a young age.

IMPROVING TEENAGERS ACCESS TO CONTRACEPTIVES

Teenagers should be able to access contraceptives easily. For example, condoms

should be available where teenagers collect them at times that are convenient to
them. They should also be located where they would not be ashamed to collect them,
for example, condom dispensers can be put in toilets instead of a public reception
area.

PEER EDUCATION AND COUNSELLING

Teenagers are more easily influenced by their peers than by adults. Peer education
and counseling groups such as Peer education and Counselling for Teenagers (PACT)
can be used to educate and counsel teenagers on sexual issues such as sexual
abstinence, the correct use of contraception, and the negative effects of teenage
pregnancy.

GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING BY THE FAMILY

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Families should be encouraged to educate their children about sexual issues such as
sexual abstinence, the effects of teenage pregnancy, the risk of contracting STI’s
including HIV, and contraception, in order to help them make informed decisions and
avoid becoming teenage mothers and fathers.

PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS ABOUT TEENAGE PREGNANCY

The mass media, such as television and newspapers can be used to raise awareness
about the negative effects of teenage pregnancy and ways of preventing teenage
pregnancy. This may help communities become more involved in influencing young
people to avoid situations that lead to teenage pregnancy.

PROVIDING RECREATION FACILITIES FOR TEENAGERS

Communities should be provided with adequate recreational facilities for young

people, for example, sports facilities, libraries, and internet cafes. Such facilities can
help young people to make friends and socialize in safe ways other than engaging in
sexual activities, especially during the school holidays.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

The penalties for making teenage girls, especially those under the age of 16, pregnant
should be increased. Men, who make teenage girls pregnant, should not only be made
to care for the baby, but also be made responsible ensuring the girl goes back to
school. He should be made to pay for the remaining years of her secondary school
education. This may help deter men from having sexual relationships with teenage
girls. Defilement laws should be enforced more effectively.

CONTRACEPTION

WHAT IS CONTRACEPTION?

Contraception refers to any method that is used to prevent pregnancy. People choose
to prevent pregnancy for different reasons. These reasons include:

● They have chosen to remain childless and do not want to have a child.
● Child spacing. They want one child to reach a certain age before they have
another one.
● The want to limit the number of children they have.
● They want to have a child at a time of their choice, for example when they feel
ready emotionally, physically and financially.

TYPES OF CONTRACEPTION

There are modern and traditional types of contraception.

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 ● Modern types of contraception involve the use of artificial devices, medical
drugs, or surgery to prevent pregnancy.
● Traditional types of contraception use natural methods of preventing
pregnancy. No artificial devices are used.

Modern contraception Traditional Contraception

Condoms, Diaphragms, Sexual abstinence,
Inter – uterine device (IUD). Rhythm method,
Contraceptive pills, Withdrawal method,
Spermicidal. Prolonged breast feeding
Vasectomy for men Traditional herbal medicines
Tubal ligation for women. Taboos concerning the males
Depo- Provera association with females
Ru86- the morning after pill

MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF MODERN AND TRADITIONAL METHODS OF

CONTRACEPTION

CONDOMS
Both male and female condoms are used as contraceptive devices. The condom traps
the sperms and prevents them from reaching the uterus. For the condom to be
effective it has to be correctly used.

MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF CONDOMS

● If effectively used it can prevent pregnancy and transmission of STI’s.

● The male condom empowers the male and the female condom empowers the
female to have responsibility in birth control and family planning.
● It is a temporary form of contraception with few side effects.
● If it is not properly used it may burst and lead to unplanned pregnancy and
STI’s.

THE DIAPHRAGM
The diaphragm is a rubber disc placed in the vagina before sexual intercourse. It
covers the cervix in order to stop the sperms from entering the uterus. For it to be
more effective in preventing pregnancy it has to be used with the spermicide.

MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF USING THE DIAPHRAGM

● It helps in preventing unplanned pregnancy.

● Its effectiveness in preventing pregnancy can be doubted because for it to be
more effective it has to be used with the spermicide.
● It cannot prevent the transmission of STI’s.

THE INTRA UTERINE DEVICE (IUD)

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This is a device made of copper that is inserted in the women’s uterus. The purpose of
this device is to prevent the fertilized egg from settling in the uterus. The IUD destroys
the fertilized egg when it tries to settle in the uterus. Women using this contraceptive
device have to go for regular check ups, to find out if the IUD is still rightly positioned
because if it moves out of position it cannot be effective in preventing the egg to settle
in the uterus.

MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE IUD

● If effectively used it can prevent pregnancy.

● It cannot prevent the spread of STI’s.
● It needs a woman to go for regular checkups because failure to go may result
in unplanned pregnancy.
● It destroys the fertilized egg. Some people believe that destroying the
fertilized egg is the same as abortion.

THE CONTRACEPTIVE PILL

The contraceptive pill contains some chemicals that help to prevent pregnancy. The
chemicals are said to have the same effects as the oestrogen and progesterone
hormones which when mixed together suppress or prevent ovulation resulting in
inability to conceive. There are various types of the contraceptive pills.

MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF USING THE CONTRACEPTIVE PILL

● If properly used it can prevent pregnancy.

● It cannot prevent transmission of STI’s, including HIV.
● It has some side effects; prolonged use can increase the risk of breast and
cervix cancer in some users.

CONTRACEPTIVE INJECTIONS
Contraceptive injections are given to women only and contain hormones that prevent
pregnancy for up to three months. An example of an injectable contraceptive drug is
called Depo–Provera.

It prevents pregnancy by:

● Stopping the ovaries from releasing an egg every month.

● Making the mucus in the cervix thicker. This makes it difficult for the sperm to
reach the egg.
● Making the lining of the uterus thinner. This makes it difficult for a fertilized
egg to attach itself to the wall of the uterus.
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MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF USING CONTRACEPTIVE INJECTIONS

● If injections are received at the correct times, it can prevent pregnancy and
has a low risk of failure.
● It cannot prevent transmission of STI’s, including HIV.
● It takes a long time for normal fertility to return. In some women this takes up
to a year.
● Using contraceptive drugs such as Depo – Provera continuously for many
years, can lead to loss of calcium in the bones and as a result, the bones break
easily.

SPERMICIDES
This is a chemical in the form of cream, foam or gel which kills sperms, The
spermicide is placed in the vagina and can also be used with a diaphragm.

MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF USING THE SPERMICIDE

● It can be effective if properly used.

● It does not prevent transmission of sexually transmitted infections.

VASECTOMY AND TUBAL LIGATION

Vasectomy is a surgical operation in which the man’s sperm ducts are cut and sealed.
This is to ensure that no sperm passes to fertilize an ovum. This method of
contraception does not in any way interfere the man’s sexual desire, erection and
ejaculation. During ejaculation the man’s semen only contains fluid but no sperms.

Tubal ligation is a surgical operation in which the woman’s oviducts are tied or cut.
This prevents sperms reaching and fertilizing the ova. This operation does not affect
the ovaries therefore menstruation still continues since the ovum is released every
month.
MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF VASECTOMY AND TUBAL LIGATION

● If the surgery is not done properly, it can lead to unplanned pregnancies.

● Although vasectomy and Tubal ligation can be reversed, it is difficult,
expensive and success rates vary. One needs to be sure that they no longer
want to have children now and in the future before one does it.
● Vasectomy and Tubal ligation do not prevent the transmission of STI’s,
including HIV.
● Vasectomy and Tubal ligation are not surgery done to cure any illness but to
control fertility. Any form of surgery has a risk of resulting in complications
that cause other health problems. Although the risk is small for vasectomy and
Tubal ligation, it is still important that people who choose this type of
contraception should be aware of the risks.

SEXUAL ABSTINENCE
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Sexual abstinence involves retraining from any sexual activity. It is considered as
traditional or natural contraception. Remember we discussed sexual abstinence in
chapter 1 of this book.

MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF SEXUAL ABSTINENCE

● Sexual abstinence is judged to be morally right behavior for certain groups of

people. For example, in many cultures and religions, unmarried people are
expected to abstain from sex until they marry. Women who have just given birth
(batsetsi) are usually expected to abstain from having sex for a given period of
time. People who disobey such sexual taboos and norms are considered as
behaving in morally unacceptable ways.
● Sexual abstinence is the only 100 percent certain way of avoiding pregnancy
and sexually transmitted infections including HIV. It can help individuals avoid
the problems of unwanted pregnancies and becoming infected with sexually
transmitted infections.
● Sexual abstinence requires self – control. Those who abstain may gain a lot of
respect from other members of the society. Those who fail to abstain, can end
up having unplanned pregnancies.

THE RHYTHM METHOD

This method of birth control is based on the women’s menstruation cycle. A woman is
only fertile for about 7- 8 days in a month. This means there are days when a woman
is not likely to fall pregnant. It is important to understand that the effectiveness of this
method depends on keeping a careful record of the woman’s menstruation cycle and
knowing exactly when she is not fertile. This is not easy to do.

MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE RHYTHM METHOD

● The rhythm method offers no protection against sexually transmitted

infections, including HIV. Couple who use his method should be sure that they
are healthy and re always faithful to each other.
● Couples have to accept that, this method has a higher risk of leading to
unplanned pregnancy than most other contraceptive methods. They should be
prepared to support each other if that happens.

THE WITHDRAWAL METHOD

The withdrawal method, also known as coitus interruptus, involves the man
withdrawing his penis from the woman’s vagina just before ejaculation.

MORAL IMPLICATION OF THE WITHDRAWAL METHOD

● Couples have to accept that, this method has a higher risk of leading to
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 unplanned pregnancy than most other contraceptive method. They should be
prepared to support each other if that happens.
● This method offers protection against sexually transmitted infections,
including HIV. Couples who use this method should ensure that they do not
have STI’s and are always faithful to each other.
● A woman is at the mercy of the man who might not be motivated to prevent
pregnancy.
● The effectiveness of the method in preventing pregnancy depends on the man
knowing himself, being able to exercise self – control and being motivated to
prevent pregnancy.

PROLONGED BREAST FEEDING

Prolonged breast feeding is known to help prevent pregnancy. Breast feeding a baby
frequently and regularly, stimulates the body to produce a chemical that stops the
release of a woman’s eggs, and delays ovulation, and as a result, a woman does not
fall pregnant.
In some cultures, including cultures in Botswana, women used prolonged breast
feeding as a method of birth control. A baby could be breastfed for about two years.

MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF PROLONGED BREAST FEEDING

● It is a risky method because after six moths, ovulation can occur without
menstruation. A woman may not know she has ovulated and fall pregnant as a
result. In addition, it only works if the baby is breastfed frequently and regularly.

● Couples should accept that there is possibility of pregnancy while the baby is
still being breastfed.
● This method offers no protection against sexually transmitted infections,
including HIV. Couples who use this method should ensure that they do not
have STI’s and are always faithful to each other.

USING TRADITIONAL HERBAL MEDICINES

Some people use traditional herbal medicines prescribed by traditional doctors

(dingaka tsa Setswana), which they believe prevent pregnancy.

MOST IMPLICATIONS OF THE USE OF SOME TRADITIONAL HERBAL MEDICINES

● Most traditional herbs have not been scientifically proven to be effective in

preventing pregnancy. There is therefore a high risk of a woman becoming
pregnant.
● Traditional medicines offer no protection against sexually transmitted
infections, including HIV.

DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS ON CONTRACEPTION

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There are different viewpoints on contraception. People hold different views on
questions such as:

● Is it morally right or wrong to use contraception to prevent pregnancy?

● Are modern types of contraception morally acceptable or not?
● Is it morally acceptable for teenagers to use contraception?
● Is it morally acceptable to use condoms to prevent the spread of sexually
transmitted infections, including HIV?
● Does the use of modern contraception encourage people to be promiscuous
because they know that they prevent pregnancy and in the case of condoms,
also protect them from STI’s infections?

The viewpoints on contraception vary because people are influenced by their personal
needs, religious beliefs and teachings, as well as by ideas about human rights and
what is considered morally acceptable in the world today.

Below are some views that are expressed about contraception.

HUMAN RIGHTS POINT OF VIEW

● Every person has a right to control over their own fertility and to enjoy sex
without the fear of pregnancy.
● Every person has a right to decide the type of contraception they prefer to use.

MORAL POINT OF VIEW

● Condoms offer double protection. They prevent both pregnancy and STI’s,
including HIV. It is therefore morally wrong to deny people access to condoms
which help protect their health.
● All the methods of birth control are morally right except the IUD. This is
because IUD’s allows fertilization but prevent implantation in the uterus.
● Preventing unwanted pregnancy is morally right. One does not bring into the
world a human life that one does not want or is not able to provide for.
● Tubal ligation and vasectomy are morally wrong because they involve
damaging parts of the human body.
● Sex is not only for procreation. The use of contraception is morally acceptable
because it allows couples to avoid pregnancy while having sex for other
reasons such as for pleasure and creating an intimate bond in their relationship.
● Family planning is the morally right thing to do. This enables families to give
the children they choose to have the best care possible. It protects the health of
women and improves the quality of their lives.

RELIGIOUS POINTS OF VIEW

Religious such as Buddhism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism accept that it is morally
acceptable for their followers to use both modern and traditional types of
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contraception. However, Islam forbids vasectomy and only allows Tubal ligation if
pregnancy would put the life of a woman in danger.

In Christianity, most denominations also allow their followers to use both modern and
traditional types of contraception. The Roman Catholic Church is an exception.

● The Catholic Church teaches that using natural methods of contraception for
example, the rhythm method and sexual abstinence is morally acceptable.
However, using modern methods of contraception is morally wrong and sinful.
The church also teaches that contraception should only be used within
marriage and for morally acceptable reasons such as, child spacing. The
Church is also against the use of condoms to protect one – self from sexually
transmitted infections, including HIV. Instead, the Church feels people should
practice sexual abstinence, avoid pre – marital sex and be faithful to their
spouses.
● Christian Churches that allow followers to use modern and traditional types of
contraception have different views about when it is morally acceptable to use
contraception. Some allow contraception as long as it is used within marriage
and to help a couple with child spacing. Others emphasize that it should not be
used to help a person to remain childless or for protection against the
consequences of promiscuous sexual behavior.

DEATH AND BEREAVEMENT

What is death?
Death is the end of life
Death is when cells, organs and tissues of the body stop functioning.

CAUSES OF DEATH
- Old age
- Diseases
- Abortion (backstreet)
- Murder
- Accidents
- War
- Capital punishment
- Natural disasters e.g earth quake, drought, floods, fire e.t.c
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THE EFFECTS OF DEATH ON THE BEREAVED FAMILY AND SOCIETY

Bereavement is the state of sorrow over the death of a loved one. People who have
lost a loved one due to death are said to be bereaved. The death of a person has
many negative effects on the family of the deceased as well as the society that the
deceased came from. Below are some of the effects of death on the following.

EFFECTS ON THE BEREAVED FAMILY

● Death can strengthen bonds between family members

The death of a family member can help strengthen family ties. The family comes
together to mourn the loss of their loved one. Usually family members cooperate and
make contributions in cash and in kind towards the funeral expenses. Some members,
who may not see each other often, meet and renew their relationships as they
prepare for the funeral. Children may meet other members of the extended family for
the first time.

● Emotional stress
The loss of family member due to death brings shock, trauma, confusion, sadness
and sorrow to the bereaved family. The emotional stress may overwhelm some family
members and make them suicidal.
● Orphan – hood
When both parents die, children become orphans. Other members of the family, such
as grandparents, uncles and aunts have to take care of them. They have to use their
own resources to take care of them. Some relatives may feel that the orphans are a
burden and may not be willing to take care of them. Others may abuse them
physically, emotionally, and sexually. Relatives have also been known to take away any
money and property left behind by their deceased parents.
● Loss of breadwinner
The family may become poor if the person who has died was the main breadwinner.
For example, they may not be able to afford the basic needs of life.

● Conflicts between family members

When someone dies, conflicts in the family may occur when for example,

● A family member is blamed for causing the person’s death. They may be
suspected of having bewitched him or her.
● There are disagreements about where to bury the deceased person.
● The deceased did not leave a will and his or her relatives fight over any
property left behind. Inheritance disputes have sometimes led to family
members suing each other in the courts of law.
● Some family members do not want to cooperate and help in cash and in kind
during the funeral preparations.

● Financial strain on the family of the deceased

Some family members do not have funeral insurance to pay for the cost of the
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funeral. As a result, the deceased family may have to borrow money, or use money
budgeted for something else towards funeral expenses.

● Change in social status

As a result of the death of a spouse, the status of the remaining spouse changes. A
married woman becomes a widow and a married man becomes a widower. When both
parents, die their children become orphans.

EFFECTS ON THE SOCIETY

● Emotional effects
Members of the society may be emotionally affected by the death of a person who
was well known, popular and loved by the society such as a president, a kgosi or a
musician. For example, when the first president of Botswana, Sir Seretse Khama died
on 13 July 1980, most Batswana were very sad and mourned his loss because they
loved and respect him as a great leader of the nation.

● Loss of educated and skilled people

The government spends a lot of money educating and training people so that they
help develop the country. The death of educated and skilled people has a negative
impact on the country. The government has to spend more money educating and
training people to replace them. This takes time and their work experience cannot
easily be replaces. For example, it takes at least seven years to train a medical doctor.

● Decline on food production

If most of the people dying are farmers and farm workers, this may lead to a decline
in food production. Families may not have enough people to grow food.

● Break up of families
Death of parents can lead to the break –up of families as their children are taken by
different relatives, adopted or taken to orphanages. Brothers and sisters end up
growing up in different households.

● Creation of child – headed households

After the death of their parents, sometimes no one is willing to take care of orphans.
As a result, the oldest child becomes the head of the household and becomes
responsible for raising his or her younger brothers and sisters. Such a child is often
forced to drop out of school. The child may turn to prostitution and other criminal
activities in order to earn money to support the family.

● Problems of caring for orphans

The society helps care for orphans by supporting families and orphanages that care
for orphans. For example, the government of Botswana provides orphans with a food
basket every month, school uniform, and money for transport to school. They are also
exempted from paying school fees. Some non – governmental organizations have
established centres that take care of the orphans. The centres are supported through
donations in cash and in kind made by members of the society.
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 ● Conflicts within the society
The death of a leader may lead to succession disputes. For instance in Botswana,
some ethic groups have experienced conflicts over who is the rightful heir to be
installed as the new kgosi.

● Increase in poverty
When breadwinners die, families may become poorer. If many families become
poorer because of the death of their breadwinners, the level of poverty in the society
increases. Government social welfare services have to support many more people
and this puts a strain on the country’s financial resources.

● Population decrease
When the death rate is higher than the birth rate the population decreases because
there are fewer people being born to replace those who have died.
THE ATTITUDES OF COMMUNITIES TOWARDS DEATH

The attitude of a community towards death is about the way the community feels,
thinks or behaves towards death. A community’s attitude towards death may be
influenced by the people’s religious beliefs and cultural traditions.
Below are some attitudes of communities towards death in Botswana.

● Although people know they will die one day, some fear death and are reluctant
to think about their own death. As a result, they are not prepared to discuss
what should happen to their property when they die or save money for the cost
of their funeral.
● The deaths are treated with respect and dignity. Death is usually marked by
funeral ceremonies and rituals that allow the deceased’s family, friends and
the community to formally say farewell to the dead person.
● Many communities think of death as being only the end of life on earth, the
spirits of the dead live on. This is why in African Traditional Religion there is a
belief in ancestral spirits or badimo. The badimo are the spirits of people who
died a long time ago but are believed to influence the lives of the living.
Christians also believe in life after death. They believe that there is eternal life
and that the souls of dead people end up either in heaven or in hell.
● In many communities, death is accepted as inevitable because every life ends
in death. In particular, communities readily accept the death of people in
certain situations for example:
● When a person dies due to old age, usually the community accepts
that nobody lives forever and they may even celebrate the person’s life.
● When a person is very ill and there is no hope of recovery, people may
welcome the death of the person because they feel that death puts an
end of his or her suffering and pain. They believe it enables the dead
person to rest. This is why many tombstones are written RIP, meaning
‘Rest in Peace’.

● Most communities regret and express deep sorrow at the death of children
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 and young adults. This is because the continued existence of the community
depends to a large extent on the younger generation outliving the older
generation. People may also feel it is against the order of nature. Older people
are expected to die first. Children should bury their parents and not parents
burying their children.
● In some communities, people always want to know the cause of death.
Knowing the cause of death helps them, especially the bereaved family, to
accept and cope with their loss. Some families may request a post – mortem
examination of the dead body, while others may consult traditional doctors in
order to find out the cause of death.

SUPPORT GIVEN TO THE BEREAVED

1. SOCIAL SUPPORT (material)

● Community offer assistance like cooking

● Some members of society go out to fetch firewood which is usually used as
energy
● Some members of society go out to slaughter animals to feed visitors during
bereavement
● Some members of society lend some utensils and equipment to the bereaved
family to be used during bereavement
● Some members of society assist in digging the grave

2. ECONOMIC SUPPORT (financial)

● Members of the society and relatives offer financial assistance to the

bereaved family
● Some offer food items
● Some offer animals that are usually slaughtered during bereavement
● Some insurance companies offer assistance to families who are their
subscribers

3. EMOTIONAL SUPPORT (spiritual)

● By comforting those who are grieving; people visit and spend time with the
bereaved family until the burial takes place
● Churches offer prayers to the members of the bereaved family
● Some members of the bereaved family may be offered professional
counseling in case they are adversely affected by the loss of a family member
● By sending messages of condolences. Friends and relatives who are unable to
attend the funeral may send messages of condolences
● Prayers may be held at the home of the deceased family regularly until the
day before the burial takes place, in some communities a prayer vigil(tebelelo)
is held the night before the burial

IMPORTANCE OF COPING WITH DEATH

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- To enable the bereaved family to cope with the loss of a loved one and avoid
despairing
Coping with death involves dealing with the feeling of grief and gradually reaching a
stage of acceptance because nothing and no one can bring back the dead person. It is
important to talk about what one is feeling so that one is not overwhelmed by grief,
despair and depression.

- To avoid damaging ones health or becoming suicidal

People who are unable to cope with death of a loved one may as a result, behave in
ways that damage their health, for example some people may begin to abuse alcohol
or drugs and they may even become suicidal

- to avoid conflicts over the cause of death

People who are unable to accept the death of a loved one as natural are less likely to
blame others for the death. For example if a family has died due to a terrible accident,
family members will not accuse each other of witchcraft. Conflicts in the family may
be avoided as a result

- To enable the bereaved family to return to their normal lives

Bereavement is processes some people take longer than other to overcome the deep
sense of grief and to begin to accept their loss. However at some point in time, people
have to stop grieving and begin to live their lives normally again. They should be able
to return to school or work and be happy again.

- to allow dependants to focus on finding acceptable ways of surviving

In case of loss of a breadwinner, dependents of the deceased person do not become
desperate. Instead they are able to ask and get the help they need. They are abler to
fin d legal; and morally acceptable ways of surviving. They don’t need to return to
prostitution, selling illegal drugs or crime to earn a living.

REASONS FOR CURBING FUNERAL EXPENSES

1. To reduce financial on the bereaved family

Avoiding unnecessary funeral expenses can help reduce the financial strain on the
bereaved family. A family would not have to get in debt in order to get the money for
the funeral.

2. To save money for the surviving dependants of the deceased

Some people die leaving young children and spouses who still need to be provided for.
It is important that most of the money and property that the deceased leave behind
should b e saved to meet their needs. For example if most of the money is used on the
funeral, the family may not be able to pay the children’s school fees and to buy them
food in future
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3. To avoid conflicts in the family due to unnecessary expenses
Some family members may blame each other for the unnecessary funeral expenses
which could have been avoided. In most cases, conflicts arise when there are
outstanding debts to be paid and family members are expected to contribute towards
the payment of the debts.

4. To help change peoples attitudes towards funeral expenses

There is need for mourners and visitors to change their expectation of what the
bereaved family should give them during the mourning period, especially in terms of
food and drink. Bereave family should also change their attitudes and think carefully
about funeral costs they incur. Families should eliminate unnecessary costly items
such as food and drink everyday after prayer, glossy full colour funeral programmes,
and then there will be no need for people to compete and show that they too can
afford expensive and lavish funerals. Those who cannot afford expensive funerals will
not come under any pressure to do more than they can afford

WILLS
A will is a legal document indicating how one wishes his or her property to be
distributed after his or her death.

IMPORTANCE OF WRITING WILLS

1.- the property of the deceased will be distributed according to his or her wishes
A person would be able to indicate who should and who should not inherit his or her
property and what they should get. For example a parent may choose to leave his or
her property to some of his or her children. Others may be left out of the will. If a
person dies without a will then people whom he or she did not want to inherit could
end up with his or her property

2.- a will can prevent family conflicts over the deceased property
When a person dies without a will conflicts over the inheritance of the deceased
property are more likely to arise between the children, spouse and other relatives of
the deceased

3.- it helps share out the deceased property in a fair way

As long as the deceased in her will have divided his property equally then his or her
property will be shared fairly

4.- It allows family members to benefit from the deceased property

Family members will get to benefit from the deceased property as stated in his or her
will

5.- A will can prevent relatives claiming property that does not belong to the deceased
or other people falsely claiming property that belongs to the deceased
In a will a person can state what property belongs to them. This would help prevent
confusion as to what belongs and does not belong to the deceased.
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ABORTION

It means the pre- mature termination of the foetus from the mother’s womb or the
premature termination of pregnancy which can be a natural rejection of the foetus or
miscarriage which is referred to as a spontaneous abortion or an induced abortion
which means when the pregnancy is unnaturally terminated.

VIEW POINTS ON ABORTION

1. RELIGIOUS VIEWS POINTS

- Most religious view life as sacred and no one has the right to kill e.g. roman
Catholics believe that life begins at the moment the baby is conceived, they believe
abortion is murder and can not be allowed whatever situation.
- In Islam abortion is allowed if it endangers the life of the mother. Muslims believes
the foetus receives its soul later in pregnancy therefore abortion is acceptable in early
stages of pregnancy if there are special circumstances e.g. when a woman have been
raped.
- Other religions accept abortion under certain circumstances e.g. the life of the
unborn baby is at risk or if the child will be born with severe
disabilities.
2. PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWS
Abortion can be done if;
- It threatens the life of the mother
- the child will be born with severe disabilities
- some people feel that abortion should be judged as right or wrong by peoples own
conscience.

BOTSWANA`S LAW ON ABORTION

Abortion can be ligalised in Botswana for the following reasons;
- If the Pregnancy is a result of rape, defilement or incest and the termination of
pregnancy is requested by the victim. If the victim is unable to make the request, her
next of kin or guardian can make the request
- When there is evidence that there is substantial risk that, if the baby was born it
would suffer or later develop serious physical or mental abnormality, or disease
resulting in serious handicap
- It can be done if it is carried out by a registered medical practitioner in a
government hospital
- if the girl did not give her consent to sex e.g. if she is under age or she is mentally –
disturbed.
- If the pregnancy involves risks to the life of the woman, the injury to her physical
and mental health.

COMPARING LAW IN BOTSWANA ON ABORTION WITH THAT OF SOUTH AFRICA

ABORTION LAW IN BOTSWANA ABORTION LAW IN SOUTH AFRICA

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- does law allow abortion - allows abortion - allows abortion

- circumstances abortion - if the pregnancy is a result of - allows abortion for any

allowed rape given reason
- if the pregnancy threatens the
life of the woman
- when there is evidence that the
baby is likely to develop serious
mental abnormality
Time limits on which - if pregnancy is not more - maximum time allowed varies,
abortion is allowed than 16 weeks depends on the reason given for
having abortion e.g.
a) more than 20 weeks if
pregnant woman’s life is in
danger
b) up to 20 weeks if the baby
would be born with severe
abnormalities
Who is allowed to perform - doctors are allowed - up to 12 weeks a doctor or
abortion midwife can perform and
after 12 weeks only a doctor
can do it
Where abortions are - performed in government - performed in a
performed hospital, a registered private government hospital or an
hospital or a clinic approved approved medical institution
for abortion

MORAL IMPLICATIONS ON ABORTION

- Some people believe that abortion is never morally right as it denies the foetus the
right to life.
- Others feel that the mother has the right to have the final choice on carrying out
abortion.
- It encourages people to engage in pre- marital, extra marital and unprotected sex
encourage promiscuity.
- it provides solution to unwanted and unplanned pregnancies
- it might leads to infertility if performed under unhygienic
- It creates moral dilemmas to the society as they will not know whether to safe the
mother or the child and if abortion is right.
- Many people regard abortion as wrong and think that it brings shame to the whole
family.
- Others say it is better to abort a child than bear a child who will suffer if the mother
is not able to support it.
- A woman who has an abortion can later feel guilty and regret it.
- It gives women freedom of choice and control over their bodies.

SUICIDE
It is the killing of oneself deliberately or on purpose which could be due to diseases,
depression, personal problems.
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REASONS FOR COMMITTING SUICIDE

1. DEPRESSION
The person will always look depressed and stressed.
2. FINANCIAL PROBLEMS
Money is a necessity in today’s’ life. People feel unhappy if they don’t have money and
that life is meaningless. Financial problems leading to suicide include debts, job loss,
and collapse of business or supporting a large family.

3. SOCIAL ISOLATION
A person may always be away from others and she/may feels he/she is not loved and
it is better when she/he dead.

4. DISEASES
Terminally ill people may decide to end their lives and those who suffer incurable
diseases.

SIGNS BY WHICH YOU CAN DETECT A TENDENCY OF SUICIDE

The warning includes the following
A) ACTION/EVENT
- drug and alcohol abuse
- night mares
- pregnancy/abortion
- parents divorce
- loss of close friend/ family members
- loss of job, money, self esteem

b) FEELINGS
- Hopelessness- one feels that there is nothing to gain
- Shame- someone hates himself/herself
- Helpless- there is nothing she/he can do
- persisted anxiety/anger- having mood swings repeatedly
c) CHANGE
- Change in personality, e.g. more withdrawn, tired, talkative, outgoing
- Change in behaviour – one cannot concentrate on a routine task
- Change in pattern of sleep- e.g. oversleeping or early sleep or late sleep
- Change in eating – e.g. overeating, loss of appetite
- Loss of interest in friends, hobbies and activities one used to enjoy

d) THREATS
- Statements like ‘how long does it take to bleed to death’
- threats like ‘I wont be around for long’
- plans like putting things in order, giving away favourite things, obtaining and
owning weapons

EFFECTS OF SUICIDE
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EFFECTS ON THE INDIVIDUAL
If suicide fails
- survivor may isolate himself and others and he/she may repeat suicidal acts.
- Survivor remains with life long tormenting stigma and shame
- the victim may become mentally and physically disturbed
- Suicide leads to death that denies the right to life

EFFECTS ON THE FAMILY

- CHILDREN LEFT AS ORPHANS

The children of the victim who committed suicide are left as orphans hence no one to
taken of them. As such they become destitute as the victim may have been their
breadwinner
- POVERTY
If the person who commits suicide was the bread winner the family may become poor
due to lack of income. Life insurances do not pay out benefits if the person insured
dies as a result of suicide. If the deceased dies whilst having a lot of debts it puts
financial strain on the family because the family has to find money to clear the debts

- THE STATUS OF THE REMAINING SPOUSE CHANGES

If the person who commits suicide is married, the social status of the remaining
spouse changes. The remaining spouse becomes a single parent. A wife becomes a
widow and a husband becomes a widower

- THE FAMILY OF THE DECEASED MAY BE STIGMATISED

This may happen in communities where suicide is considered wrong and immoral.
The family of the person who has committed suicide may be blamed for failing to
teach their children proper ways of dealing with problems. As a result of the stigma,
the family member may find it difficult to talk about what happened

IMPACT ON THE SOCIETY

LOSS OF SKILLED AND EDUCATED PEOPLE

Those who commit suicide may be skilled and educated and would have contributed
to the development of the country. The government would have to spend more money
training people to the jobs left by those who have committed suicide. Loss of
important labour force reduces the economic potential of a country. For example if the
society looses many professionals like doctors, nurses and teachers due to suicide
EMOTIONAL EFFECT
Members of the society may be emotionally affected by suicide if the number of
cases is high. This can raise a lot of concern in the society
STIGMA AND SHAME
The stigma and shame surrounding suicide may affect the society due to increased
publicity and loss of wealth. Therefore the repeated or high number of suicide cases
also tarnishes the good image of the society

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INCREASE IN POVERTY
If a lot of people who commit suicide are breadwinners, families in the society can
become poor. This may put a strain on government social welfare funds.

- Possible crimes like prostitution that result from the loss of a breadwinners
tarnish the name of the society
- It can also lead to societal breakups in cases where members of the family or
community feels that the relatives are responsible for the death or suicide.

WAYS OF AVOIDING SUICIDE

● Being open about ones problem
People can avoid suicide by talking about their problem with people they trust.
This can help them cope with stress and depression caused by problems they
are experiencing. E.g. one may confide in a parent, a friend, a teacher, or a social
worker

● be realistic and positive in working through one’s problems

Individuals should try to develop a positive outlook towards life by remembering
that with time and help problems can be solved. Nothing stays the same forever,
problems will end

● build hospitals for terminally ill people

● Avoid being alone, isolated and keeping dangerous secret

An individual who is feeling suicidal should avoid being alone. One may telephone or
visit a friend or family member to talk about his or her feelings and ask for help.

● establish loan assistance schemes for people with financial problems

● people with suicidal tendencies should be open to others

● Preventative and crisis counseling should be offered

● people should remember that suicide is irreversible

● people should learn to differentiate feelings and actions

Individuals should learn to differentiate between feelings and actions. Feeling
suicidal does not mean one should commit suicide

EUTHANASIA
It means an intervention to bring about gently and easy death to a person
It can be referred to as mercy killing or the painless killing of a person suffering from
an incurable and painful disease

TYPES OF EUTHANASIA
1. PASSIVE EUTHANASIA
This is the act of stopping life sustaining treatment. It does not involve the actual
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doing of anything to prolong life. Relatives can ask for it if their patient is supported by
a machine and cannot have normal life without a machine.

2. ACTIVE UTHANASIA
This is when death voluntarily induced on a person. A person may ask for it or
relatives can ask for it.

PAST AND PRESENT PRACTICES RELATED TO EUTHANASIA

1. PAST PRACTICES
● during battle severely injured warrior could be stabbed to death by a fellow
warrior in order to save him from suffering due to his injuries
● during times of severe drought very old people who could not provide for
themselves were abandoned and left to die of hunger and thirst, in order to
reduce the demand for the little food available
● babies born with severe physical defects were suffocated to death by
midwives immediately after they are born
● If a mother died in child birth and there was no one willing or able to take care
of the baby, the baby would be buried alive with the mother. This was done
because people felt that it was better for the baby to die than to suffer without
its mother

PRESENT PRACTICES ASSOCIATED WITH EUTHANASIA

● withdrawing or withholding intravenous feeding
When close family members of a patient withdraw intravenous feeding system
from a terminally ill person and when the doctor withholds intravenous feeding
their action would be associated with euthanasia
● withdrawing or withholding life support machines
When a terminally ill patient or severely injured person is taken off from a life
support machine, or if doctors do not put a patient on life support machines,
they can be said to assist the terminally ill patient to die.
● Withdrawing or withholding medical treatment
Sometimes medical practitioners withdraw or withhold medical treatment in
situations where there is no hope for a terminally patient to recover. E.g.
treatment can be withdrawn or withheld from patients who are brain dead.
● Withholding surgery
In some cases doctors may decide not to perform surgery on a terminally ill
patient because it would not help him or her to recover. Such patients may be
kept in a hospital and be given pain killers only, to relieve pain, in some cases
the terminally ill patient may be discharged from the hospital and has to be
taken care off at home or a hospice until they die.

THE PLACE OF WILLS IN RELATION TO EUTHANASIA

A will can be written by someone stating how h/she wants to be treated incase she/he
gets involved in an accident and she cannot talk afterwards, he/she can opt for
euthanasia to avoid misery and pain. This is referred to as voluntary active euthanasia.

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A will can be done by an individual whereby he/she wishes not to be put in a life
supporting machine because it is worth nothing he/she won’t survive for long. This is
called voluntary passive euthanasia

EVALUATING THE CONCEPT OF EUTHANASIA

The issue of euthanasia has passed a moral dilemma. Some think it helps terminally
ill people to get out of pain while others think that killing is wrong.

ARGUMENTS FOR EUTHANASIA

It brings pain and suffering to an end

Takes away fear of a painful death
It is cheaper than the medicines needed to keep the patient alive
Quality of life is more important than the length of it
It can help shorten the grief and suffering of the patient and the family
It helps one to die with dignity rather than the disgrace brought by long
suffering

ARGUMENTS AGAINST EUTHANASIA

- Many religions disagree with this because God is the only one who gives life
and should be the one to take it away.
- Relations of trust between the doctors and patients could be destroyed.
- Some people wake from commas, so doctors can make mistakes.
- Modern medicines can help reduce pain.
- Relatives may persuade an old person to ask for mercy killing because they
want to inherit property.
- In Botswana, it is an offence against ancestors and God. They hope one will
recover. This is expressed in a proverb” moya goleele o lefa ka marapo”.

SCIENTIFIC METHODS OF PROLONGING LIFE

It is possible for doctors to keep people alive longer. There are drugs and operations
done to prolong life.

1. The use of artificial respirators

When the person’s breathe fails, respirators can be used to help the patient with
oxygen supply. It also controls the heartbeat when the person has sufficient blood flow.

2. Organ transplant
People can be given organs like kidneys, heart, liver, etc by other people (those people
will be referred to as donors).

3. Intravenous feeding
This is the use of machines top feed those who cannot eat and are weak
4. Drugs
People who suffer from pain e.g. those with terminal cancer are injected with drugs to
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ease the pain
5. Artificial body parts
Some of the artificial parts can be used to `replace those that are damaged e.g.
arteries can be replaced.

6. Blood donations
Blood is screened to check for diseases and then is donated to those in need to save
their lives.

7. Use of incubators for pre mature babies

Babies are put there to reach their normal birth date. The machine sustain the baby’s
life, it has suitable temperature and the baby is fed through intravenous machines

MORAL DILEMMAS BROUGHT BY ADVANCED SCIENCE

Use of limited monetary resources

Some scientific methods used to prolong life such as organ transplants and dialysis is very
expensive. Many countries have limited monetary resources (money) to spend on medical care.
The moral dilemma governments and policy makers face is whether to spend the limited money
the country has on scientific life prolonging methods in order to safe the life’s of a few people and
risk putting a strain on government financial resources, or to spend the money on medical
treatments that can save the lives of many and leave the patients who require the expensive life
prolonging treatments to die.

Treatment dilemmas
Medical treatments sometimes have to make very difficult moral decisions as to;
- Who should benefit from life prolonging treatments and for how long
-whether or not to give a patient treatment that will prolong his or her life for just a short time
-Whether or not to violate the patient’s right to give consent to life prolonging treatment. Some
people refuse to accept life prolonging medical treatments such as blood transfusion for
religious reasons
The moral dilemma the medical practitioner face is whether or not they should respect the
patient’s religious beliefs and right to consent. If they respect the patients beliefs and rights it
may lead to his or her death. if they ignore the patients beliefs and rights, and do a blood
transfusion, they may safe his or her life, but they will have violated the patients rights to consent
and his or her religious beliefs

Quality of life
Sometimes family members face a situation where medical treatment such as dialysis is
prolonging the life of their loved one but he or he is still suffering and has a very poor quality of
life. He relatives and other care givers may question whether or not it is worth keeping the person
alive o it is better to let them die and end hi or her needles suffering

HIV AND AIDS AND SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS

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Differentiating between HIV, AIDS and STIs
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus); the virus that causes AIDS by infecting cells of
the immune system. It is transmitted mainly by exposure to contaminated body fluids,
especially blood and semen

AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome); a collection of diseases that affect the
body as the immune system weakens due to HIV infection.

STI (sexually transmitted infection) a condition caused by germs (bacteria, viruses, or

parasites) contracted through sexual intercourse or other intimate sexual contacts.

THE NEED TO KNOW ONE’S HIV STATUS

o If individuals think they might have been exposed to the virus, testing can put
their minds at rest. They will know whether or not they are infected.
o Individuals who are HIV positive need to know their status sooner rather than
later because they will need to make important decisions and may have to
change their behaviour. For example..
● they can make an effort to learn about how to live positively with HIV,
through diet and exercise
● they may have to start ARV therapy before their immune system collapses
and nothing can be done to save their lives
● they can take steps to protect their partners by practicing safe sex, This
will help avoid re- infection and transmission of the HIV to another person

o If they want to have a baby, they can adopt measures to ensure that the
baby is not infected with HIV, for example by enrolling in the HIV mother to
child prevention therapy programme.

THE ATTITUDINAL CHANGE IN BOTSWANA TOWARDS HIV TESTING

The attitude of most Batswana towards HIV testing has changed. Many now go
voluntarily and regularly for HIV testing. This could be of the following reasons;
● The introduction of free ARV therapy in 2002 gave people hope. People now
know that when they test positive, they can receive ARV drugs which help
reduce the amount of the virus in their bodies and prolong their lives.
● Comprehensive education about HIV AIDS issues has now made many
Batswana aware of the importance of testing and knowing ones status. Public
campaigns now focus on behavioural change and no longer threaten people
with death.
● The government has opened Tebelopele HIV testing centers all over the
country. This has made it easier and encouraged people to know their status
● When some people went public and announced their status, they encouraged
other people to test and know their status and this also helped remove the
stigma and fear of testing for HIV

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MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF TRANSMITTING HIV INTENTIONALLY

Many people accept that intentionally infecting another person with HIV is morally
wrong conduct because of the following reasons
● It shows lack of empathy and consideration for others. One may infect many
who would otherwise remain HUV negative
● HIV infection has serious consequences. It is an incurable infection that can
ruin the other person’s life. The other person may become infected with HIV,
develop ands and die
● It shows lack of respect for human life because it puts the life of the other
person at risk
● In a sexual; relationship, a partner may feel that his or trust was violated
because they were lied to and deceived
● In many cases it may be difficult to prove that someone intentionally
transmitted HIV to another person, if there is no proof it would be morally
wrong to accuse someone of intentionally transmitting HIV to another person

MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF TELLING SOMEONE ABOUT ONE’S HIV STATUS

● It places a duty on the person who has been told to keep the information
confidential, unless he or she has been given the permission to tell others by
the person who disclosed his or her status
● It is easier to disclose ones status, if one is HIV negative because being
negative is seen as a good thing
● If one is HIV positive it can be a stressful decision to make. The fear of
stigmatization, rejection and discrimination may make the individual unwilling
or reluctant to disclose his or her status
● It can help build trust between you and the person being told
● One may be seen as doing something morally right because the information
will enable others to protect themselves. Sexual partners and caregivers can
take the necessary precautions to protect themselves from getting infected
● Would enable others to show empathy and compassion towards you and to
know how best to help you
● Means one would feel free to take the ARV medicines openly. There would be
no need to hide the drugs for fear of people finding out that one is HIV positive
● May encourage behavioural change in order to protect ones health. A person
is not likely to engage in sexually risky behaviour if she or he knows that other
people know that he or she is HIV positive

CONSEQUENCES OF HIV AND AIDS TO THE INDIVIDUAL, FAMILY, COMMUNITY AND

THE NAT ION

ON THE INDIVIDUAL
- affects the persons health and may lead to death
HIV makes one to be vulnerable to opportunistic infections. If one is HIV positive and
their immune system is weakened by the virus it may result in AIDS which may lead to
death.
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- emotional and mental stress
After testing HIV positive some people get emotionally stressed. This is because no
one likes being infected with HIV. Some may become even more emotionally stressed
when they get AIDS.
- despair
Some individuals despair as a result of testing HIV positive and may end up behaving
in morally and socially unacceptable ways by engaging for example, in drug and
alcohol abuse, adultery, prostitution and intentional transmission of HIV. Some may
commit suicide.

- due to AIDS effects some individuals become less productive at work

AIDS patients can become less productive because they are sick. Some may end up
losing their jobs because of this.

- the individual may be isolated and discriminated

They may suffer stigmatization which may lead to having low self esteem and self
confidence.

ON THE FAMILY

- Relatives may become emotionally stressed

People do not wish for their members of their family to be infected with HIV or to get
sock of AIDS. Having an AIDS patient at home may be emotionally stressful because
family members may have fear that the patient would die.

- loss of bread winners

Some bred winners may die and leave their families in poverty. This may result in
other social problems such as prostitution and crime.

- increase of orphans in the family

When both parents die children become orphans and relatives may have to assume
the responsibility of taking care of the orphans. This may also result in child headed
households.

- change the social status of the family

A wife can become a widow; a husband can become a widower and if both parents die
children become orphans.

- divorce
If one spouse is HIV positive, while the other is HIV negative, this can lead to tension s
in the marriage. The spouse who is HIV negative may accuse the one who is positive
of being unfaithful and may decide to end the marriage. If both husband and wife are
positive, they may blame each other for being the source of the infection. This too can
lead to divorce.

- family can become poorer

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Taking care of a patient can be costly because family members may have to spend
money visiting their patient at the hospital, and buying food and drugs for the sick
person. The family may have little or no money left to pay for other family needs and
projects.

COMMUNITIES AND THE NATION

- It creates a problem of orphan hood for the community and nation
If relatives are unable or are not willing to take care of the orphans, the community
and nation in which the orphans coke from will have to help. The orphans would have
to be taken to orphanage which the community and the nation would be expected to
support. Some orphans may end up living on the streets.
- it results in loss of skilled and well educated people
In Botswana the government spends a lot of money in educating and equipping
people with skills. When such people die the government will have to spend more
money in training more people to acquire such skills and levels of education.

- it has a negative effect on the economy of the country and the country’s development
The government of Botswana spends a lot of money on buying the ARV drugs, which
are given to AIDS patients for free. This then has a negative impact on the country’s
economy and it slows its developments. If many people in the country are sick it can
affect the productivity of a nation and lowers the economy and slows the development.

- it can lead to loss of investor confidence

If a country has a high rate of transmission and infection of HIV, investors can lose
confidence and can fear to invest in such a country. They may think that they too can
get infected or that there is less productivity in the country.

- it can decrease the population of the country

Countries with low population such as Botswana may experience this problem if the
death rate is high and the birth rate is low.

LIVING POSITIVELY WITH HIV

Having a positive attitude

Having a positive attitude involves accepting one’s HIV positive status and being
hopeful about the future. One does not feel that being HIV positive is a death
sentence. Instead one sees it as chronic condition that can be managed through
taking the appropriate medication, diet and exercise.

Eating a healthy balanced diet

Meals containing all the necessary nutrients help to boost a person’s immune
system. One should have balanced meals that have all the nutrients the body
needs to stay healthy. An HIV positive person should eat food from all the food
groups

Exercising
It can help the individual to relieve stress and to keep fit. Exercise can help boost
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 the immune system

Getting enough rest

It is important for an HIV positive person to get enough rest because it allows the
body to recover from stress and fatigue one may be feeling. A well rested body
helps the immune system to function properly

Leaving in a clean environment

A clean environment is good for one’s health because it reduces the risk of getting
certain infections such as malaria and diarrhoea.
Using a condom when having sex
Using a condom when having sex protects one from getting re- infection and
transmitting the virus to another person

Early treatment of infection

Infections and ailments should be treated as early as possible so that they don’t
make the immune system to collapse
Adherence to ARV therapy instructions
Those on ARV therapy should adhere to the instructions on how and when to take
the medication and go for regular checkups’. This help to monitor their health

Avoiding alcohol, cigarettes and illegal drugs

Intoxicants such as alcohol cigarettes and illegal drugs reduce the effectiveness of
ARV drugs on a person’s body and weaken the immune system. Taking illegal
drugs and alcohol can lead one to engage in sex without a condom and
discontinuing the ARV treatment

THE CAPACITY TO ADOPT HIV RISK PREVENTION MEASURES

There are various measures that people can use to prevent or reduce the risk of
becoming infected with HIV such as the following;
● Using surgical gloves when attending to an injured person who is bleeding
● Having one sexual partner and being faithful to him or her
● Using condom every time when having sexual intercourse
● Male circumcision
● Sexual abstinence

REQUIREMENTS TO START ARV TREATMENT

● CD4 count test

CD4 cells are white blood cells which protect the body against infections. A
CD4 count test is a test in which one’s white blood cells are counted. Healthy
people are expected to have a CD4 count of about 800- 1000. Currently if a
person’s CD4 count is 250 or below the person’s immune system is
considered to be very weak and will qualify to start ARV treatment. In the
past, to qualify for ARV treatment, the CD4 count had to be 200 or below.

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 ● Viral load test
The viral load test measures the amount of HIV in the body. The higher the
viral load the weaker the immune system. The viral load is checked to
ensure that the correct dosage of ARV drugs is given.

● Treating other infections first

Before ARV treatment begins, people who have tested positive for HIV are
normally tested and treated for other infections such as tuberculosis and
other sexually transmitted infections first. This ensures they are as healthy
as possible before taking ARVs.

● HIV positive pregnant women

Pregnant women who are HIV positive and use ante- natal services offered
at government hospitals and clinics are encouraged to enroll in the
Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) programme. They
receive ARVs that help to prevent transmission of the virus to the baby
during pregnancy.

● Counseling
A person should receive counseling before enrolling on the therapy. The
purpose of counseling is to:
1. Provide knowledge and understanding of the ARV therapy. For
example, patients will be advised about what to eat, the need for
exercise, and need to avoid certain foods, drinks and medicines.
2. Ensure the patient understands the importance of adhering to
instructions of how and when to take ARV medication.
3. Advise the person about the4 importance of coming for regular
checkups at the clinic or hospital.
4. Encourage them to have a positive attitude and to live positively.

THE EFFECTS OF THE ARV ON THE PERSON

● it controls the viral load in the body

ARV medication slows down the growth rate of HIV in the body. It prevents
the virus from reproducing and this slows down the damage HIV causes to a
person’s immune system. The CD4 count increases resulting in a person’s
immune system improving.

● it can prolong a person’s life

An improvement in a person’s immune system due to Arvs, in turn results in
a person’s health improving. The person is likely to live longer than they
would have if they did not take ARVs.

● it can help a person re- gain self esteem

Some people lose self esteem when they test HIV positive. The ARV
medication helps them to recover and re- gain self esteem. The Masa ARV
therapy is called ‘the new dawn’ because it gives HIV positive people the
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 hope of continuing to live.

● it can help a person re- gain their health and become productive again
After enrolling on ARV therapy the person can become well enough again,
to work and become productive.

● ARV like all drugs has negative side effects even if they are not taken
correctly. Below are some of the negative effects of ARV on a person’s body.

- muscle pain
- diarrhoea
- skin rashes
- tiredness
- persistent headaches
- nausea
- abnormal menstruation patterns
- numbness in the hands and feet

THE EFFECTS OF INTOXICANTS ON ARV THERAPY

● Intoxicants make ARV therapy less effective

Using illegal drugs and alcohol make the ARV drugs less effective. As a
result, the immune system remains weak.

● Patients may fail to adhere to instruction on how and when to take the
medicine
When taking ARV drugs, it is very important to follow the doctor’s
instructions on how and when to take them. For example, ARV treatment
has to taken everyday at the same time for it to be effective. Intoxicants can
make the patient forget to take the medication or taking it at the wrong time.

● Intoxicants can lead one to make bad decisions

When HIV positive people are under the influence of intoxicants they may
engage in unprotected sex and get re- infection. Some patients may decide
to stop treatment altogether.

THE IMPORTANCE OF TELLING A FAMILY MEMBER ABOUT ONE”S HIV

STATUS

● Telling someone can be emotionally relieving, especially if one is HIV

positive. Knowing that one is HIV positive and not telling anyone can be very
stressful.

● One would have at least one family member to turn to for emotional
support.

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 ● If the HIV positive person has AIDS, the family member who knows one’s
status can become a care giver. He or she will know how to take care of the
person properly without putting himself or herself at risk of becoming
infected.

● Informing a family member about one’s HIV status can encourage the
family member to test for HIV if he or she has not already tested.

MORAL VALUES THAT CAN BE USED TO DEVELOP A POSITIVE ATTITUDE

TOWARDS PEOPLE WITH AIDS

● Empathy
Empathy is the ability to put oneself in another person’s situation and
imagine how he or she is feeling. People living with AIDS may be in pain
and unable to care for themselves. Empathy would enable us to understand
their suffering and needs. If we have empathy we are likely to be more
willing to help others.

● Compassion
Compassion is a deep feeling of empathy for those who are suffering and
the desire to help them. It is necessary to treat people living with AIDS
compassionately because this will make them feel that other people care
about them. Having a feeling of compassion can make people turn their
feelings of sympathy into action.

● Generosity
Generosity is the willingness to give and to share what one has. There are
many ways of being generous towards those living with HIV and AIDS. This
includes donating food, clothes, or money. It is important to be generous to
those living with HIV and AIDS because it shows that we care.

● Caring
Caring means to feel affection or love, and concern for somebody or
something. We need to care for those living with HIV and AIDS. We can
show that we care in various ways such as: cleaning, washing and cooking
for them as well as visiting them regularly when they are not feeling well.

● Respect
Respect means to admire someone or to treat someone with courtesy and
dignity. HIV positive people deserve respect because having the virus does
not make them less human. They have the same rights like everybody else.
We can show respect to people living with HIV and AIDS in various ways
such as respecting their privacy by not gossiping about their HIV status and
speaking to them politely.

THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A COMPASSIONATE ATTITUDE TOWARDS HIV

POSITIVE PEOPLE
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 ● It encourages them to accept their status
If we show compassion to HIV positive people, they are more likely to live
positively. If we are compassionate, we will not stigmatise them. This will
encourage them to accept their status and if need be they will enroll for
ARV therapy.

● It makes them feel accepted

A compassionate attitude makes them feel that other people accept them
in spite of their HIV positive status. Lack of compassion will make them feel
like social rejects and it may make them despair. Their desperation can
lead them to risky behaviour such a drug and alcohol abuse. They may
even think of for example, stopping taking their medication, dropping out of
school and committing suicide.

● It boosts their self esteem

Testing HIV positive can lower a person’s self esteem. When people show
compassion to those who are HIV positive, it can boost their self esteem
because they will feel that others still love and value them.

● It may encourage them to join the fight against HIV and AIDS
A compassionate attitude can help those living with HIV to educate others
about HIV prevention and to live positively with the virus.

WAYS IN WHICH HIV POSITIVE PEOPLE ARE TREATED BY DIFFERENT

STRUCTURES

The family
- They do not stigmatise family members who are HIV positive. They help them
continue having a
Positive attitude towards life.

- they respect their rights to privacy by keeping their HIV positive status
confidential.

- when the HIV person is ill, they make sure that they get the care and medical
attention they need.

- they do not blame them for becoming infected with HIV. Instead they provide
emotional support and
encourage them to accept their status
.
- they may be accused of becoming infected because they are promiscuous and a
disgrace to the family. As a result, family members may be unwilling to support
and care for the relative who is HIV positive.

- some family members may not respect their relative’s right to privacy and
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 confidentiality by disclosing their HIV positive status to other people.
- husbands and wives may divorce their spouses or start ill- treating them when
their spouses test HIV positive. This is because the most common way through
which HIV is transmitted is through unprotected sex therefore they will feel that
their spouses were unfaithful

Schools

- learners who are HIV positive should be given special care and attention by the
school. For example, through the guidance and counselling department learners
are given counselling to help them cope with their status.

- staff members are required to respect the privacy and confidentiality of the HIV
positive status of learners and other staff members.

- students and members of the staff should be allowed regular checkups. However
just like any other person they are expected to follow all the proper channels of
seeking permission.

- learners who are HIV positive have the right to attend school lessons and take
part in school activities like any other learner. They should not be discriminated
against. However, just like any social group, there may be some individuals who
discriminate against people that they know are HIV positive. For example some
individuals may:
● not be willing to sit next to someone whom they have heard is HIV positive.

● Disclose the status of the people they know are HIV positive without their
consent. This is violation of the person’s right to privacy.

The work place

- Some employers run wellness programmes which encourage employees to

adopt a healthy lifestyle. Others provide free ARV therapy to their employees
who are HIV positive and have developed AIDS.
- Co- workers show kindness and compassion by visiting their colleagues who
are hospitalised. They may contribute money to buy their colleagues some
fruits and vegetables
- Some employees may be dismissed from work after disclosing their HIV
status to their employers
- Individual employees may discriminate against those who are HIV positive

Religious groups

- Many religious groups do not discriminate against people who are HIV
positive. Followers are encouraged to treat them with love, compassion and
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 respect.
- They are given emotional and spiritual support. For example they can be
prayed for and encouraged to have faith and to avoid despairing
- They may be given material support, for example religious groups may donate
money, food and clothes to organisations that support HIV positive people.

Clinics and hospitals

- they are given emotional support through counseling

- They are treated with respect. Patients HIV status is kept confidential from
other patients
- they are given guidance on how to lead healthy and positive life
- they are given regular medical check ups

INFERTILITY

Infertility is the inability to have children because of the improper functioning of a part
of the body of either a man or a woman.
● Infertility may be a temporary (such as when one is sick) or it can be a
permanent problem when it is congenital, meaning that it is an inborn defect.

FEMALE INFERTILITY
Female infertility is the inability to conceive, or to produce viable eggs that can be
fertilised by the sperm, or the woman’s womb not being able to carry a fertilised egg
to a full term. When a woman cannot bear children, she is said to be infertile.

MALE INFERTILITY
Male infertility is the inability to induce conception, or to produce enough sperms to
fertilise an egg, usually caused by impotence. Impotence is not being able to have an
erection or not being able to ejaculate.

TRADITIONAL PRACTICES RELATED TO INFERTILITY

the use of traditional medicine

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 Traditional doctors give traditional herbs to infertile people in order to make
them fertile or to enable them to carry a pregnancy to full term.

Polygamy
If a woman was infertile, a husband would marry a second wife with the hope
that the second wife would be able to bear children for the family.

surrogate motherhood and fatherhood

If a woman was infertile, her younger sister was allowed to have sex with her
sister’s husband, so that she could bear a child for her. When the child was
born, the elder sister would adopt the child and raise it as her own. If it was the
man who was infertile, arrangements were made so that a close older male
relative, for example, his older brother could impregnate his wife. Normally, the
arrangement was kept secret.

adoption
An infertile couple could adopt children of close relatives and raise them as
their own.

MODERN PRACTICES RELATED TO INFERTILITY

surgery
A woman can undergo surgery to correct the blockage of oviducts. However,
this may not be always successful.

the use of fertility drugs

A woman who does not ovulate can be treated with fertility drugs. The fertility
drugs help to produce hormones that cause ovulation.

in- vitro fertilisation ( test tube babies)

This is whereby fertilisation takes place in the test tube or a Petri dish. This
method is normally used when blocked oviducts cannot be corrected through
surgery. The woman’s ova or eggs are collected by sucking them through a thin
tube. The collected ova are then mixed with the man’s semen. They are
checked through a microscope to check if fertilisation has taken place.

When fertilisation takes place, several zygotes are then inserted into the
woman’s uterus through a test tube. The zygote develops into a foetus.
However multiple births can result if all the zygotes develop. Usually some
zygotes are stored and used if the first transplant is not successful. If it is
successful, the remaining zygotes are disposed.

artificial insemination
Semen is inserted into the woman’s uterus. This method is usually used when
the man has a low sperm count. The sperm may come from the husband if the
woman is married, or if the husband’s sperm are of poor quality, a donor’s
sperm may be used. Some single women use donor sperm if they want to be
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 single mothers.

Adoption
An infertile couple may adopt a child. A child can be adopted from within the
family or from an orphanage. Nowadays a formal and legal agreement has to
be made and approved by a court of law.

Surrogacy
Surrogacy refers to the arrangement in which one woman (surrogate mother)
agrees to bear a child for another woman.

egg donation
This method is used when a woman has problems with her ovaries and as a
result does not produce eggs or she produces eggs that cannot be fertilised.
Another woman may donate eggs which would be fertilised and implanted in
her womb through the in- vitro fertilisation method.

THE MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF SOME PRACTICES RELATED TO INFERTILITY

in- vitro fertilisation

● It brings happiness to a childless couple because they can have a
biological child of their own.
● If successful, it can boost the self esteem of a childless couple.
Some couples lose self esteem when they are not able to bear
children because in many societies infertility is stigmatised. People
who cannot bear children are ridiculed and even insulted. They
may be called derogatory names. For example, in Setswana terms
such as moopa, setwatwa or moreba are used.
● Multiple births that can result from in- vitro fertilisation can put a
strain on the woman’s body and can also result in emotional
depression of having to take care of many children born at the
same time.
● A child born through this method can lose self- esteem and
become ashamed when other people refer to him or her as a test
tube baby.
● The remaining zygotes are disposed. People who believe that life
starts at conception consider it as a murder or disrespect for
human life because the zygotes if implanted in the uterus have the
potential to grow into a baby.

Surrogacy
● Some surrogate mothers are paid. This brings up the question of
whether it is morally right or acceptable to buy a baby or to be paid
for the use of one’s womb to carry a baby for someone else.
● The surrogate mother may develop an emotional bond with the
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 unborn baby. As a result, she may refuse to give up the baby or
experience emotional trauma after she gives away the baby.
● Later on in life, the child may want to know the woman who gave
birth to him or her. This can result in a conflict between the child
and his or her parents.

Adoption
● Through adoption, a childless couple provides a home to a child
who could possibly be homeless.
● Adoption can boost the self esteem of the childless couple and
that of the adopted child. Some children appreciate having been
adopted rather than having to grow up in an orphanage.
● When an adopted child becomes a problem, it can result in conflict
between the married couple. They can blame each other for
coming up with the idea of adoption.
● In most cases children are adopted when they are babies or are
very young. They cannot give consent to the adoption.
● The family of the adopted child may want their child back later,
and this can result in a conflict between the family which adopted
the child and the biological family or the parents of the child.
● If the child discovers that he or she was adopted, it can create an
identity crisis. The child may want to know who the biological
parents or family are, and may even want to leave the adopted
family and return to the biological family.

artificial insemination
● Since sperm donors may be anonymous, this denies the child the
right to know their biological father.
● The sperm from one donor may be used to impregnate different
women. The children will never know their half brothers and
sisters. This may create a risk of incestuous relationships later on
in their lives.

SOCIAL JUSTICE

Social justice is concerned with treating everyone fairly and equally in order to attain
social harmony in society. Social justice therefore involves;
- giving everyone in the society equal rights and opportunities
- allowing everyone equal and fair access to economic resources and the basic
needs of life such as food, shelter, clothes and medical care
- making everyone equal before the law

FAIRNESS

Fairness can be defined as

- treating people justly
- conforming to established rules which give everyone the same treatment and life
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chances
- It involves treating everyone in the same way.
- Fairness is about being impartial. Being impartial involves making decisions and
treating people based on objective reasons rather than on the basis of bias, prejudice
or favoritism for improper reasons

EXAMPLES OF FAIRNESS

- Fair decisions are made when all family members are treated in the same way. E.g.,
for example boys and girls must take turns in cleaning dishes
- providing public toilets not only for able bodied people but also for people with
physical disabilities who are using wheel chairs
- serving food and drinks only to people who have contributed money for the party
- fairness in decision- making prevails when both men and women are given the same
treatment. E.g. Administering corporal punishment to both men and women offenders

Other examples of fairness include the following

- applying the same punishment to students who have done the same mistake
- avoiding favoritism in class
- applying rules and regulations uniformly on all people

EQUALITY
Equality means treating people in the same way and avoiding any form of
discrimination. People enjoy the same rights and opportunities
- This refers to giving people equal access to rights and opportunities. Equality means
there should be no bias.

SITUATIONS THAT REFLECT EQUALITY

- In Botswana all the learners have a right to have a meal provided by their
school at tea and lunch time. Boarders are also given breakfast and supper
- Requiring that students wear the prescribed school uniform without exception
- Giving the males and females the same education and employment
opportunities. For example in Botswana both males and females can now work
underground at the mine and in the army
- All children have a right to go to school regardless of the economic status of
their parents
- Everyone in the country is protected by the law regardless of one’s sex, race,
ethnic group, or place of origin

CASES OF UNFAIRNESS AND INEQUALITY IN BOTSWANA AND SOUTH AFRICA

EXAMPLES OF UNFAIRNESS IN BOTSWANA

- in some cultural groups, a widow is expected to wear mourning clothes after
the death of her husband, while a widower does not wear any mourning clothes
after the death of his wife
- School textbooks are not written in Braille for visually impaired students, this
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 affects their learning and they may not perform to their potential.
- Many public buildings do not cater for people with disabilities. For example
some schools, shops , churches do not have ramps for those using wheelchairs

EXAMPLES OF INEQUALITIES IN BOTSWANA

● SUCCESSION TO BOGOSI
Some ethnic groups still do not allow women to inherit chieftainship. If the
oldest child is a female, her oldest younger brother becomes the chief after
the death of their father.
● INHERITANCE CUSTOMS
In some ethnic groups, the only or the youngest male child inherits his
parents’ home even if he did not help build the house. Female children even
they helped build the house cannot inherit the property. In most cases,
female children do not inherit valuable properties from their parents. For
example they may inherit kitchen utensils and furniture, while the male
children inherit the homestead and livestock

● CUSTOMARY MARRIAGE
The customary law of Botswana allows Polygyny only. Men are allowed to
marry as many wives as they wish at a time. Women are not allowed to
marry more than one husband at a time

● LEADERSHIP IN SOME RELIGIONS

In some religions, men and women are treated unequally. Women are not
allowed to become religious leaders. For example, in the Roman Catholic
Church, women cannot be priests, bishops, archbishops or become the
pope. In Islam, the imams are always male

EXAMPLES OF UNFAIRNESS IN SOUTH AFRICA

Example 1
A company was taken to court by an employee who had been dismissed from his job
with the company. The court decided that the dismissal was not unfair because the
employee had already been given a final warning about his conduct at work. However,
the court ruled that what was unfair was the employer’s refusal to allow the
employees lawyer to represent him at the disciplinary hearing. The employee was
entitled to such representation, by a lawyer of his choice. The company was ordered
to pay the employee twelve months salary as compensation.

EXAMPLES OF INEQUALITIES IN SOUTH AFRICA

Examples of inequalities that existed in South Africa during apartheid rule

- Only white people were allowed to vote during general elections to elect the
country’s government, citizens such as blacks, Indians, coloureds and Chinese
did not have the right to vote.
- Unequal distribution of development and wealth. Most of the country’s wealth
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 was used to develop areas reserved for white people only.
- There are inequalities in the distribution of health services. Some provinces
have more doctors than others. Most urban areas have better services than
rural areas
- There are gender inequalities in the work place, for example senior
management positions in big companies and organisations, are held mostly by
men not women

ANALYSING INEQUALITIES IN BOTSWANA

Many inequalities in Botswana are as a result of socialization. Socialization means

being made to believe or behave in a certain way.

1. CULTURAL AND POLITICAL INEQUALITIES

Traditionally a woman was not allowed to inherit chieftainship but today they are
being supported by the government and we have women chiefs like Kgosi Seboko of
Balete, Kgosi Moremi of Batawana. We have women in other institutions like Justice
Unity Dow who was the first female in High Court, even in political positions we do
have female representation. We also experience a land- right issue when it comes to
the Bushmen. Traditionally they are the hunters and gatherers and live in Kalahari
National Park where they are no built clinics and schools and therefore the
government prefer them to move to villages and also to apply for hunting licenses
which the Bushmen find it not their culture.

2. SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC INEQUALITY

The society is divided into classes that is those who are rich, the middle class, the
poor and those extremely poor. Those who have more money can afford better
schools for their children and those that are poor theirs are at a disadvantage. The
government is however trying to provide education to all and school fees are kept low.
It also helps the poor by providing social welfare and food parcels and those families
that have been affected by AIDS pandemic.

3. RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND INEQUALITY

In Botswana freedom of religion is allowed and there are branches of all main
religions e.g. islam, Christianity, Hinduism e.t.c. in some of the religions there are
some areas where women and children are treated unfairly.

THE ROLE OF SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS IN PROMOTING FAIRNESS AND EQUALITY

Family
● Children who treat each other unfairly are punished or reprimanded
● Adult members of the family act as role models for their children by treating
other people fairly and equally
● Some parents promote fairness by making sure that chores allocated to
children are suitable for their age
● Some parents promote equality by avoiding gender bias when allocating
chores to their children. E.g both ma le and female children are expected to
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 help with the cooking, cleaning the house, and washing dishes
● Some man make decisions together with their wives in matters concerning
their families
● Parents ensure fairness and equality by ensuring that their children have an
equal share of property in their wills

The school
● By teaching learners and fairness and equality and encouraging treating
others fairly and equally. E g in subjects such as Moral Education and Social
Studies
● Ensuring all students have equal and fair access to learning resources such
as textbooks and opportunities to develop their talents
● In every class their monitors and prefects who represent the interest of the
learners on issues that affect them
● By ensuring schools rules are obeyed by all students without exception.
Punishment for breaking rules being fair for all.
● By ensuring all students wear school uniform

Religions
● By teaching followers to treat other fairly and equally
● Religions preach against discrimination, especially of vulnerable people such
as the children, the poor and the disabled. They encourage people to respect
others
● As a way of promoting gender equality some religion groups accept women as
religious leaders

The kgotla
● Through kgotla meeting members of the community are encouraged to treat
each other fairly and equally and not violate the rights of others
● To promote fairness, before disputes are settled, every person is given a fair
hearing. a person has a right to appeal to a high court if he or she is unhappy
with the judgment
● Both males and females are allowed to attend kgotla meetings
● In order to promote fairness, all people are allowed to voice their views during
kgotla meetings

ANALYSING DICTATORSHIP IN SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS

Dictatorship refers to the act of exercising complete powers over people and
forcefully telling them what to do.

1. FAMILY
- Husbands may make decisions concerning family matters without consulting their
wives and except their wife’s to accept the decisions without complaining or
disagreeing. They may even indicate that their decisions are final.
- A mother in- law dictating to a daughter in law how she should care for her children
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- Parents choosing a husband or wife for their son or daughter. Some may refuse
their son’s or daughter’s choice of marriage partner.
- choosing for a spouse, who they should be friends with and who they should not be
friends with without any explanation. The spouse is not allowed to question the
decision.

2. THE SCHOOL
- School management making or changing rules without consulting parents, staff
members and students
- scheduling study time over the weekend and insisting that all students attend even if
they have good reasons for not being able to do so.

3. RELIGION/CHURCH
- In some religions, followers are expected to follow their leaders without question e.g
they are not allowed to question how money collected for religious purposes is being
spent.
- Some religious leaders indicate how members of the religious group should live
their lives

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PRINCIPLE OF FAIRNESS AND EQUALITY IN MORAL

DECISION MAKING

FAIRNESS AS A MORAL PRINCIPLE

Avoiding discrimination should be a principle when making moral decisions. Moral

decision refers to good and fair decisions
Fairness and equality are important in moral decision for the following reasons. The
decision would;
Be accepted by many people because it is likely to be based on good reasons
Not cause conflicts and misunderstanding between people because it will
promote peace and harmony
Not promote favouritism and any form of discrimination and would benefit all
people regardless of sex, skin colour, race or age
Promote trust among people
Help leaders gain respect from other people
Promote respect for human rights because fairness and equality are
fundamental values on which human rights are based

MORAL ISSUES ARISING FROM THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS

1. ABORTION
Most social institutions believe that the rights of the unborn baby should be protected
than protecting of the mother. That is why abortion is illegal in Botswana. Those
people deciding the laws in the government are those who have grown up in social
institutions. If people feel that made laws are unfair the government will listen to the
complaints of the people and amendments are to be made. There are situations
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where abortion can be accepted e.g. rape, incest, pregnancy threatening the life of the
mother. Sometimes people believe that to commit abortion is a personal choice and
some may differ.

Churches are anti- abortion. The religious beliefs of families may lead them to
socialize their individual members to accept that life is sacred and abortion is
therefore morally wrong. In such families when a teenager falls pregnant, even if the
parents are angry they would not allow their child to have an abortion

Schools teach students about the consequences of abortion, the different views and
beliefs on abortion and the moral implications of abortion. This may influence the
student’s views on abortion

2. PROSTITUTION
Many societies believe that prostitution is illegal and morally wrong. People believe it
impurifies the human body. People tend to practice prostitution for various reasons
e.g. lack of money, food, and employment. Family, community and schools can
influence issues of prostitution. If one gets enough education and gain skills he will
have the chances to get a job. Providing alternatives to work in sex industries is an
impossible issue not only for the individual but also for the whole society why because
prostitutes have multiple sexual partners. They are at risk of STD’s that they can pass
to those uninfected.

3. THE USE OF CONTRACEPTION

Most religions accept the use of birth control methods especially for married
couples, however some religious churches such as the roman catholic are against any
form of contraception because they belief that sex is for procreation not just for
enjoyment. Therefore the followers may be influenced by these teachings and may
decide to or not to use contraception

So families may also be influenced by these religious so may therefore decide to or

not to use contraception, however some families may use them as a human right
[Link] of comprehensive sex education in schools on subjects such as
Moral Education, Guidance and Counseling etc influences teenagers who are unable
to abstain to consider the use of contraception. The knowledge the students acquires
may influence their decision on whether to use contraceptives or not

4. CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
It is condemned by most religions, they believe it violates a persons right to life and is
cruel, inhuman and an act of revenge. It violates the teaching of ‘thou shall not kill’.
Generally religions are against violence and do not support capital punishment
because it involves violence
The school promotes awareness of capital punishment as a human rights issue.
Learners are taught about views and beliefs held by other people and different
organization and these influences the learner’s views and opinions about capital
punishment

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6. SUICIDE
Religion considers suicide as a morally wrong thing because life is considered sacred.
Those who commit suicide are considered to be committing a sin. This religious belief
may influence the followers attitude towards suicide and those who attempt to
commit it. Families influence its members to avoid suicide through religious beliefs
and teachings of moral values such as respect or life

MORAL ISSUES RELATED TO A SOCIAL INSTITUTION

1. ISSUE OF BIRTH CONTROL IN ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

Roman Catholic Church is against the use of birth control methods except the natural
ones e.g. the rhythm method, which are not reliable. Government and the community
are concerned about the issue of over population. The more people born the lesser
the resources to sustain their well being. Smaller families are easier to maintain.
Catholic families have large numbers because they are forbidden to use
contraceptives, this put pressure on the community resources. The moral dilemma
that faces the catholic is whether to follow teachings of the church or follow the
advice about family planning brought through community health programmes.

2. POLYGAMY IN AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION AND THE AFRICAN

INDEPENDENT CHURCH
Churches preach that polygamy is morally wrong; they believe that a man should only
marry one wife and be faithful to her. However in African tradition polygamy was part
of African life and regarded as valuable and customary. The moral dilemma we see
here is not only between clashing of traditionally permission of polygamy and
Christian condemnation of polygamy but also between the teachings of the different
churches. Some churches agree with polygamy therefore it can be thought of as
moral or immoral depending on the background of the church

3. FORMS OF PUNISHMENT AS PRACTICED IN ISLAMIC STATES (SHARIA LAW)

Sharia law is a sacred law of Islam. What people do and is expected from them is
specified in the law. e.g. if you are caught with alcohol you are punished by whipping,
repeated theft one is cut four fingers of the right hand, capital offences include
political, crimes, murder and drug smuggling . Why these punishment are
administered Muslims they violate the sacredness of something. In other faiths, these
punishments are seen as evil and cruel because they are irreversible. Some Muslims
are caught in a dilemma to choose between holy law of tradition and their preference
for more humane secular law.

4. THE PRACTICE OF SUTTEE IN INDIA

In India in the past a widow was to stand be buried with her dead husband. His body will be will be
burnt to ashes together with the living body of his body. Some are burnt with their possessions
with the believe to uphold his duties in the next world. To show a bond to marriage a wife was to
commit a painful suicide to honour the dead man

CITIZENSHIP
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The status gives one the entitlement to legal protection by the laws of a country.
- The state of having full rights as a member of a country; either by birth or law
A citizen is-
- An inhabitant of a country
- a member of a nation
- a person belonging to a certain country

WAYS OF ATTAINING CITIZENSHIP IN BOTSWANA

BIRTH
If the person was born in Botswana and both the parents are Batswana

BY DECENT
If one was born in Botswana but both or one of the parents is a Motswana

ADOPTION
If a non citizen child of not more than three years of age is adopted by a Motswana
parent, the child may be granted citizenship

REGISTRATION
A person who can become a citizen by registration is a foreigner who is granted
citizenship by the president as an honour for having worked hard and shown high
commitment and loyalty to Botswana

BY NATURALISATION
If a person has lived in Botswana for attleast ten years may apply for citizenship. But
a person who is married to a citizen of Botswana, may apply after living in Botswana
for attleast five years

BY SETTLEMENT
th
A person who settled in Botswana before its independence in 30 September 1966
and have lived in Botswana as a member of a particular tribe and community, shall if
they so wish, make a declaration as prescribed and become a citizen of Botswana

RESPONSIBILITIES

● take part in developing his/her country socially, economically and politically

● take part in crime prevention and protect public property
● Participate in national activities, e.g. aids campaigns, litter picking, national
tree planting day, elections, referendum etc.
● work hard to uphold the national principles
● uphold the country’s constitution and obey the laws of the country
● defending their country against enemies

CIVIL RIGHTS
These are the entitlements that one has because of being a citizen of a particular
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country. They are drawn up and provided by the government
The difference between civil rights and natural rights is that natural rights are
common to every human being just for being human, whereas civil rights are specific
to citizens of a particular country.

MORAL DUTIES OF A CITIZEN

Moral duties are obligations to show good and desirable conduct and abide by the
laws of the society. E.g.
- taking part in developing the country
- abiding by the rules of a country
- taking part in public affairs
- respecting other peoples rights
- taking part in national services
- challenging unjust laws and influencing their amendments

HOW DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AFFECT CITIZENS IN THEIR DAILY LIVES

a) the responsibility to uphold the constitution helps a person to live a judicial
and upright life, with few crimes or offences
b) the responsibility to defend ones country makes one eligible for military or
national service
c) the responsibility to participate in public activities can make people play a
meaningful role in nation building activities, for example Tirelo Sechaba
d) the ability to promote the country’s national principles may make people
initiate development projects to be self reliant leading to a spirit of cooperation
e) the responsibility to protect public property from damage and misuse can
assist organisations like crime prevention units and the department of wildlife
f) The responsibility to contribute towards the economic, social and political
development of a country can lead to business enterprise, political activism etc.

TRADITIONS AND THE LAW

Tradition is the passing of beliefs and custom from one generation to the other.

LOCAL AND NATIONAL TRADITIONS

LOCAL NATIONAL
Proverbs Currency
Values National flag
Totems Constitution
Taboos Coat of arms
Riddles National anthem

ROLES OF THE TRADITIONS

1. TABOO (MEILA)
They are meant to ensure the security for people as well as to protect the welfare of
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the individuals and the community at large.
The taboos safeguard or protect the secrets of the community to be exposed to other
people of a different community;
They also encourage and discourage certain types of behaviour of the community
members.

2. RIDDLES (DITLHAMALAKANE)
They are used to improve the thinking skills and logic of the people
- they are educational.
- They used as a form of entertainment thus keeping youngsters busy and free from
danger.
- Riddles illustrate aspects of particular tradition in an area where people are locate
- they provide powerful moral lessons to individuals.

3. TOTEMS (DIRETO)
They are used by people as an identity for their tribe
- give people pride.
- provide peace and harmony amongst people.

4. PROVERBS (DIANE)
They teach people morality,
- they encourage moral values such as respect and cooperation
- they reinforce customs and traditions.

5. NATIONAL FLAG
It gives the nation an identity and gives the people pride of their country. It
strengthens unity amongst the people of a country as they will be abiding to a
common flag.

6. CONSTITUTION
It encourages peace and harmony amongst people; it ensures that everyone’s rights
are respected as well as laying the basic rules and freedoms which people are
entitled to.

THE ROLE OF TRADITION IN GOVERNING HUMAN BEHAVIOUR

o Tradition guide and control human behaviour. They guide people’s

behaviour and conduct by telling them what to do and not what not to do. E.g.
through taboos and proverbs. It is a taboo to eat ones totem, as a result
people will be careful to avoid eating their totem.
o Some traditions encourage good behaviour and discourage bad behaviour.
E.g. bogwera and bojale teach young people how to behave in morally right
ways in the community
o National traditions encourage people to be patriotic. National traditions
such as respect for National symbols and celebration of important political
holidays encourage citizens to love and be loyal to the country
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 o Traditions unite people; both local and national tradition can unite people.
E.g. the singing of the national anthem, wearing the national colours and
coming together for patlo and bogadi can create a sense of unity among
people
o Traditions promote peace and social harmony and cooperation in society.
Forms of cooperation such as majako, mafias,molaletsa and motshelo
encourage people to help each other. This in turn promotes peace, kagisano
and cooperation among people

DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN RULES AND LAWS

Rules are statements of what can and cannot be done in a particular circumstance
e.g.
- do not litter
- keep left past right
- Speed limit 60km/h
- do not use vulgar language

Laws are the rules supported by the power of government to control the behaviour of
the citizen’s e.g.
- No one should murder
- do not drink and drive
- do not give false information.

RULES IN INSTITUTIONS

FAMILY RULES
● Do not come home from playing or visiting friends after dark
● Always wash your hands before and after eating
● Do not use vulgar language
● Do the chores assigned to you on time
● Respect your elders

SCHOOL RULES
● All students should be punctual to school
● All students should wear proper school uniform
● The use of vulgar language is not allowed within the school premises
● No weapons and sharp objects such as knives are allowed in school
● Students should respect other students and all members of staff

HOSPITAL RULES
● Visitors should adhere to the visiting times
● Children below age of 12 are not allowed to visit patients
● Switch off cellphones when you are in the consultation room
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 ● Visitors are not allowed to eat in the wards
● The hospital shall not be held responsible for the loss of valuable property
belonging to the patients

SOME LAWS GOVERNING BOTSWANA

● Marriage laws- govern registration of marriages, making an oath in

marriage and any matter concerning marriage
● Citizenship laws- governs how one becomes a citizen of Botswana
● Consumer protection law- protects the rights of consumers
● Domestic violence law- protect victims of domestic violence
● Corruption and economic crime law-
● Adoption of children- the law sets out the procedures for adoption

HOW CHANGE IN MORAL PERCEPTION AFFECTS THE LAW

1. AMMENDING THE LAW/ CHANGE IN LAW

Sometimes made laws loose their status because we are living in a changing world,
e.g. in the past polygamy was practiced and accepted but nowadays it is discouraged
due to many factors including the issue of HIV/AIDS.

2. REIN- FORCEMENT OF THE LAW

Some laws when being amended they need to be reinforced to make people see the
seriousness of what is entailed. Some crimes such as those of rape, abortion and
murder they need to be looked into and their sentence should be made in such a way
that people would refrain from doing such crimes.

3. ABOLISHMENT OF LAWS
Sometimes laws that have been made long time back may loose their importance as
they may address issues that no longer taking place or happening so they need to be
terminated or stopped to be on use.

CRIME
Crime can be defined as
- An act punishable by law
- An action forbidden by the law
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- An activity which breaks the law and is a subject to official punishment

TYPES OF CRIME
- Offences against property- theft, burglary, house breaking
- Offences against public, disorder, nuisance, insulting behaviour
- Offences against the road traffic act- dangerous driving, over speeding
- Offences against morality- rape, bestiality
- Offences against persons- murder, assault, abuse

CAUSES OF CRIME
- Poverty and Unemployment-
Some people may commit crime because they are very poor and have no means of
earning a living. E.g. they may engage in criminal acts such as stealing and receiving
stolen goods in order to earn money or to acquire items they need to support
themselves

- Greed
Some people want more money and property than they actually need or can afford.
As a result they engage in crime in order to try and satisfy their desire to acquire as
much money and property as possible

- peer pressure
Some people especially young people may engage in criminal activities such as theft
and robbery because of peer pressure from their friends.

- Unfair and unequal distribution of wealth in society

If in a country, wealth is distributed unfairly or unequally, this can result in a very wide
income gap between the rich and the poor. This also creates a gap in developments
between different parts of the country/. Some areas will have more developments,
while other areas have few developments and limited employment opportunities.
Some people may end up committing crimes in order to also benefit from the wealth
of the country.

Alcohol and drug abuse

Some people commit crime while under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs. For
example they might fight with others; commit rape, murder, and manslaughter. Others
may steal in order to have money to buy alcohol or illegal drugs
Other causes may include the following
- experimenting
- testing the enforcement of the law
- mental illness
- poor and irresponsible parenting

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EFFECTS OF CRIME TO THE CRIMINAL

- LOSS OF LIFE
The victim can kill a criminal during the time of the crime as a way of self- defense
and to defend his belonging, Or may be sentenced to death as a punishment. E.g. in
Botswana where capital punishment is practiced, a murderer can be sentenced to
death

- LOSS OF EMPLOYMENT AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

When one has been involved in a crime and end up being caught he or she may end
up being found guilty and be chased from the employment. Job seekers who have
criminal records often find it difficult to get jobs because of potential employers do not
trust them

- LOSS OF DIGNITY
A criminal may lose dignity or his worthy when he is caught in an act of crime. If he
was a well known somebody people will turn to discriminate towards him.

- LOSS OF PROPERTY
The criminal can loose her property when caught in act of crime so her belongings
can be re- possessed to be sold in order to repay those who she stole from.

- RISK OF BECOMING INFECTED WITH STI’S

Rapists who do not use condoms can become infected with STI’S such as HIV

- LOSS OF FREEDOM
All crimes are punishable by the law. A person suspected of committing crime can be
arrested and tried in a court of law. If found guilty he or she cab be punished by being
imprisoned. Imprisonment involves the loss of freedom.

- PERMANENT INJURIES
When caught in an act of crime such as theft and robbery, a criminal may be injured
by the criminal. The victim may shoot him/her in self defence. Some people who
commit crimes such as shoplifting or mug people in public places are beaten by
members of the public and as a result they may sustain permanent injuries

EFFECTS OF CRIME TO THE VICTIM

- LOSS OF LIFE
Victims of murder loose their life’s. Other violent crimes such as robbery, assault and
battery can result in loss of the victim’s life

- PERMANENT DISABILITY
Some crimes such as robbery and rape involve the use of violence. The criminal may
cause permanent injuries to the victim while committing the crime. For example the
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criminal may stab or shoot the victim resulting in the victim becoming paralysed

- LOSS OF SELF ESTEEM

Crimes such as rape, defilement, assault can damage the victim’s self esteem and self
confidence. The loss of self esteem may be due to the feeling of embarrassment,
helplessness and fear of stigmatization for what happened to them. The crime may
make them feel devalued and worthless

- SPREAD OF DISEASES
Victims of rape and defilement can become infected with sexually transmitted
infection such as HIV. This can affect their health badly

- MAY EXPERIENCE ECONOMIC DRAW BACK

Victims of criminal activities such as theft robbery and fraud can experience an
economic draw back as a result of loosing their hard earned money or property to the
criminals

- SUFFER LONG LIFE FEAR AND DEPRESSION

This can happen to victims of criminal activities such as rape defilement and
kidnapping

- LOSS OF TRUST IN OTHER PEOPLE

Victims of crimes such as theft, rape, defilement and kidnapping may loose trust in
other people. Some crimes are committed by people who the victims know as a result,
they may find it difficult to trust people around them.

MORAL IMPLICATIPONS OF CRIME

● Crime is considered anti- social and immoral behaviour because it violates the
rights of the victim to be safe and secure, to privacy and to their property.
People live in fear to become victims of crime
● Crime destroys trust, unity and the spirit of Botho among people. People do
not know whom to trust and this can discourage from helping others.
● Crime tarnishes the images of families and the whole country, even if it is only
some of its members who are criminals
● Crime can hinder the existence of peace and harmony in the society and make
the society an unsafe place to live in.
● Crime can lead to some members of society benefit unfairly from a country’s
resources and wealth. E.g. through corruption, some people acquire a lot of
land while others have none

ECONOMIC CRIME

Economic crime is any act of gaining wealth illegally for oneself, an organization or a
company and results in a financial loss to the victim
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EXAMPLES OF ECONOMIC CRIME

1. FRAUD
Fraud is the act of intentionally deceiving other people in order to obtain their money
or property. Facts are deliberately misinterpreted to mislead a victim. E.g.
Forgery or counterfeiting
False pretences- involve a person pretending to have certain qualities and
abilities that they do not have. E.g. using faked or altered certificates to gain
admission into an educational institution or to obtain employment.
Embezzlement- is taking money or property entrusted to one’s care, custody,
or control without permission, and using one’s benefit. E.g a finance officer who
receives money for the organization she works for and then deposits the
money in his or her personal account or uses it for his or her own personal
benefit

MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF FRAUD

● Fraud is considered immoral because it involves lying and dishonesty
● Trust is an important part of good relationships between people. Fraud
destroys trust people have in one another. E.g. when employees commit
fraud they breach the trust between them and the employers
● Fraudsters can loose the respect of relatives, friends, colleagues at work
and other people in the community
● Victims of fraud may seek revenge and this may lead to conflict in the
community
● Fraud can cause physical injury or kill victims. Eg counterfeit medicine can
kill people

2. TAX EVASION

- it is an illegal practice whereby a person, an organization or a company

intentionally does not pay, any tax or the correct amount of tax due.

MORAL IMPLICATIONS
- It is considered morally wrong because it involves being untruthful and
dishonest
- It violates moral values of fairness and justice. People who deliberately evade
paying tax place a greater and unfair burden on honest tax payers.
- It violates the standard of morally acceptable conduct in the society because
it involves abandoning one’s civil responsibility. It results in loss of income for
the government and this can threaten its ability to develop the country and
provide services that benefit the whole country.

3. CUSTOMS DUTY EVASION

- It is the practice of deliberately not declaring, declaring false values, or
wrongly classifying imported goods or services in order not to pay any duty or
to reduce the amount of duty to0 pay
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MORAL IMPLICATIONS
- It is considered morally wrong because it involves being untruthful and
dishonest
- It violates moral values of fairness and justice. People who deliberately evade
paying duty on imported goods and services places an unfair tax burden on
people who honestly declare the value of their imported goods and services
- It violates society standards of morally acceptable conduct, because it violates
the principle of social responsibility. It results in loss of income for the
government and this can threaten its ability to develop the country and provide
services

[Link] LAUNDERING
- Is the process by which money obtained illegally, is made to appear to have
been earned legally. This is done by hiding its original illegal source and
legitimizing it for future use. This makes it difficult to trace the original source
of the money

MORAL IMPLICATIONS
- Money laundering is considered morally wrong because it involves being
dishonest and benefiting from money obtained illegally, and usually from
criminal activities
- It can tarnish the image of a country and its financial institutions. This can
result in loss of investor confidence
- Money laundering is considered immoral conduct in the society because it
violates the civic responsibility people have to obey and uphold the law

CORRUPTION

It is an illegal action that benefits an individual, organization or company financially or

materially

BRIBERY
- The practice of offering or asking somebody for money or other incentives to
do something dishonest or illegal.

MORAL IMPLICATIONS

- Bribery benefits the individual official at the expense of the organization or the
nation he or she is employed to serve
- Bribery can increase the cost of doing business in a country because extra
money has to be paid to the officials. This can have a negative impact on the
economy of the country
- Bribery can result in low productivity because officials will not perform their
duties unless they are bribed
- Bribery makes the public loose trust in the government or an organization
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 because of officials who take bribes.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Conflict of interest is a clash between the public and private interest of somebody in
an official position and involved in making decisions for an organization, a company or
the government

MORAL IMPLICATIONS

- A person with a conflict of interest not makes just and fair decisions. They
may want to favour themselves or their relatives and friends
- The public can loose confidence and trust in the process of decision making of
the organization or government
- Individuals who do not disclose conflict of interest, may benefit themselves or
their relatives and friends unfairly and unjustly from the decisions and activities
of the organization and the government at the expense of the greater good of
the organization or the country

POSSESION OF UNEXPLAINED PROPERTY

- It refers to having money or property that is above one’s known sources of
income or assets.

MORAL IMPLICATIONS

- if offenders are not punished by the government, it may encourage others to

engage in crime and corruption in order to acquire the same kind of wealth
- some people may begin to feel resentful or jealous of people with unexplained
property
- it may make people fearful of people with unexplained property and they may
not want to associate with them because they suspect that they acquired the
property through illegal means. E.g. selling drugs or robbery

VIOLENCE

● Violence is physical force used to hurt or harm somebody.

● Violence means to ill- treat or abuse some one using physical force.
This may result in injuring or hurting people, destruction of property and violation of
law.

TYPES OF VIOLENCE

Physical violence
It is the use of ones hands or an object to cause physical pain or injury. It involves
actions such as punching, kicking, hitting, slapping, pulling hair, pouring hot liquid over
someone and burning someone

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Sexual violence
Sexual violence involves use of physical force to make another person engage in
sexual activities against their wish or without their consent e.g. cases of rape. Rapists
may use victims as their sex tools (use them any how). This kind of violence may lead
to injury, HIV/AIDS, unwanted pregnancies and also inability to have a long term
relationship. However sexual violence also includes situation such as using force to
kiss someone, or to touch their breasts, buttocks and genitals

Domestic violence
This is a form of violence which takes place in the home. It involves different kinds of
abuse between family members. For example, spouses who beat their partners at
home and children who are deliberately hurt by their parents or care takers.

Social violence
Social violence is the type of violence that occurs in the society e.g. robbery, burglary,
rape, murder and others.

Political violence
Political violence refers to the use of physical force against people to achieve a
political objectives or goals. it is the type of violence that result in issues such as when
one group tries to impose their beliefs or views unto other people. , war, injuries,
assassination and other related brutal acts. It involves beating up people murder rape
and torture in order to force them to vote for a particular political party or because of
disputes over election results.

Religious violence
Religious violence happens as a result of religious reasons. People can fight because
of intolerance. This is a situation where religions do not accept others or when they
speak bad thing about others religious beliefs.

CAUSES OF VIOLENCE

Poverty and unemployment

Lack of money can make people to be violent as they will be bitter about their lives.
Others will be having no money to buy food and they take people’s belongings by force

Media influence
When some people see violent acts on television or doing certain things they just copy
such behaviour. The viewers end up committing such acts of violence shown on
television.

Socialization from a violent family

When children grow up in a violent family they tend to grow up with that behaviour and
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see it as normal. If parents always fight in presence of children, the children may think
that the proper way of resolving conflict is through fighting

Peer pressure
Some people become violent as a result of being influenced by their age mates. E.g.
young people may influence others to belong to violent gangs and to go around
beating and terrorizing other people in the communities

Excessive use of substance

Some people become violent as a result of substance or drug abuse since they will be
under the influence of such substances.

Selfishness and greed

If a person is selfish or greedy s/he can cause violence since s/he may want to have
everything to themselves. Sometimes this can happen when there is some property of
the deceased relatives which is supposed to be shared among siblings or relatives.

EFFECTS OF VIOLENCE ON THE;

1. VICTIM
- Loss of life
Violence may lead to loss of life because it involves the use of physical force. the
death of the victim may be caused intentionally or unintentionally
- Physical injuries
Violence often results in physical injuries. Some of the injuries can lead to permanent
disabilities. E.g. loss of teeth, eye, ear or limbs. A person can become paralysed for life
- Transmission of STI’S and other diseases
Sexual violence can result in a victim becoming infected with infections such as HIV,
syphilis or gonorrhea. A female victim may even fall pregnant as a result of having
been raped and this may force her to have an abortion
- Emotional stress
The experience of violence may lead to depression and feelings of anger, guilt,
humiliation and resentment. This can affect the victims’ mental health negatively
- Fear
Victims of violence live in fear of the perpetrator of violence against them. They will
not feel safe or secure wherever they are, e.g. at school, home and at work. Living in
constant fear of being attacked can affect a person’s self confidence and ability to live
a normal life.
- Some will be depressed, have mental disturbance and think of committing suicide
so as to be free from violence.
- Loss of self esteem.
The victim of violence may loose self esteem and may no longer feel good about
himself or herself. E.g. victims of rape may have a low self esteem

2. EFFECTS ON THE PERPETRATOR

- may result in imprisonment
Violent acts such as murder, assault and rape are punishable by the law. A perpetrator
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can be arrested and if found guilty by a court can be imprisoned as punishment

- Loss of life
A perpetrator may be killed during the course of committing violent acts. E.g. a victim
of violence may kill him or here in self defence. If the perpetrator is found guilty of
murder, he or she can be sentenced to death.

- Physical injuries
Violence often results in physical injuries. Some of the injuries can lead to permanent
disabilities. E.g. loss of teeth, eye, ear or limbs. A person can become paralysed for life

- The perpetrator may be stigmatized

Members of the community will have a negative attitude towards him or her because
violence is considered morally unacceptable conduct. Violence is regarded as a
shameful behaviour

- Loss of respect
Violence is regarded as morally unacceptable behaviour. People who are violent are
normally not respected by other people. E.g. a man who physically abuses his wife
may loose the respect from his children, friends and neighbours

3. FAMILY
Domestic violence may lead to family breakdown. This may lead to children
and spouse running way from home in order to escape from suffering.
Children may run away from home and end up being street kids and they may
resort to crime as way of surviving.
If parents die in the act of violence children will become orphans.
Children become bitter and want to revenge when one of their family
members is disabled or loose life due to violence.
Violence breed violence; being socialized in a violent environment may lead
to children being violent since children learn through imitating what people do.
If children were abused sexually they may not want to be involved or form
healthy relationships in future.

4. SOCIETY

Under development; if there is violence in the society e.g. political violence

involving war, property may be damaged hence this would be costly to repair
damage property or replace it and also people will be scared to take part in
development activities.

Low production; as people die due to violence, both unskilled and skilled
personnel/labour would be lost hence there will be less production which may
lead to down fall of the economy.

Lower economic growth; violence may lower the economic growth as

investors will not come to the country. When public property is damaged as a
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 result of the violent acts such as riots, money that could have been used for other
developments, has to be spent fixing or replacing the damaged or destroyed
property

Refugee problem; as there is violence in the society, many people may leave
their homes or country to find safety in other countries. This leads family
breakdown.

Displacement from settlements; political violence may result in people being

chased away from their homes; this may lead to poverty as their property will
be taken or left behind.
Ill health; violence may lead to diseases in the society as people may be
crowded in refugee camps. This may also lead to water borne diseases as
sometimes they may be chased to unhygienic environment.

Street kids; children may decide to run away from home to be street kids to
escape from violence. The society will be burdened with taking care of them.

POSSIBLE RESPONSES TO VIOLANCE

1. VIOLENT RESPONSE
This means meeting violence with violence. If someone have been violent on to you,
you are going to revenge to him through violence. E.g. a person who is battered by a
spouse may decide to fight back or a country may decide to fight back when attacked.
There is a saying that goes “an eye for an eye “or “violence breeds violence”.

2. PACIFISM
It means solving the differences in a peaceful way without using any violent means.
Mahatma Gandhi used to say ‘an eye for an eye and soon we shall perish’. If people
are having problems, they have to solve them through discussions.

3. NEGOTIATION
It is another means of responding to violence whereby people meet and discuss their
differences and end up reaching a common agreement to solve their differences.
Negotiation often involves both sides in a dispute accepting less than what they
originally wanted.

4. MEDIATION
When people fight against each other, an individual or a group of people who are not
involved in the conflict can be asked to mediate in order to end the violence.
Mediators are not supposed to take sides. Their role is to end the conflict peacefully.
E.g. in most cultures when a married couple fight, normally their parents or close
relatives act as mediators to encourage them to resolve their conflicts peacefully.

5. SURRENDERING TO AVOID CONFLICT

Some people respond to violence by surrendering or giving into a violent person or
situation in order to avoid conflict. This kind of response is sometimes is referred to
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as ‘turning the other cheek’ e.g. men and women who are victims of domestic violence
may remain in a violent relationship and even blame themselves for the behaviour of
the abuser

6. WALK OR RUN AWAY

Some people respond to violence by walking away or running away from a violent
person or situation. E.g. in war torn countries people run away and seek refuge in
other countries. In cases of domestic violence a person can leave the home, and seek
refuge with relatives, friends or organizations that help abused people

CRIMES RELATED TO SEXUAL PRACTICES

- Killing or threats to kill a lover

Killing or threats to kill another person, including a sexual partner is considered a
crime in most countries including Botswana.

- Rape
Rape is forcing someone to have sexual intercourse against his or her will. Being in a
sexual relationship does not give one the right to force one’s partner to have sexual
intercourse

- Defilement
Defilement is having a sexual relationship with any person under the age of 16. if a
person is found guilty of defilement the penalty is a minimum of 10 years and
maximum of life imprisonment

- Homosexuality
Means being sexually attracted to people of the same sex, men are usually attracted
to other men, and women are sexually attracted to other women.

- Incest
Incest refers to sexual activity between family members who are closely related by
blood, for example, brothers and sisters, parents and children. According to the law in
Botswana, incest is having sexual intercourse with someone who is one’s grandchild,
child, brother, sister or parent.

- Bigamy
In Botswana people who are married under civil marriage laws can only have one
living husband or wife at a time. If a person while still having a living husband or wife
marries someone else under civil marriage law, they are guilty of the offence called
bigamy

- Domestic violence
In Botswana, the domestic violence act of 2008 deals with violence in sexual
relationships. e.g. between couple that is married, cohabiting or dating. This act
considers any abusive behaviour that harms the health or safety of one’s sexual
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partner as a crime

REASONS WHY LOVERS KILL EACH OTHER

Selfishness
Some people are selfish and only think about themselves and their needs. They do not
have empathy for others and are usually inconsiderate of the needs of others. E.g.
when the lover of a selfish person decides to end the sexual relationship, he or she
may feel rejected and decide to kill the ex lover.

Unfaithfulness and suspicion of unfaithfulness

In sexual relationships, most people expect their partners to be faithful. If one partner
is unfaithful or suspected to be unfaithful, his or her lover may become bitter and
have feelings of extreme jealousy, insecurity, anger, humiliation and loss of dignity. if
these feelings are not controlled and dealt with properly they can result in person
killing their lover as personal revenge.

Obsessive possessiveness
Possessiveness is a believe that one has to own something or someone as a
possession and feeling that one cannot function without it or them. Possessiveness
can become an obsession which may lead to unreasonable behaviour and may result
in some people killing their lovers.

Economic reasons
Some people kill their lovers when their lovers want to end the sexual relationship
because they feel that they have spent a lot of money on them. Usually lovers spend
money on each other.

MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF KILLING A LOVE PARTNER

- killing ones lover is a violation of the dead person’s right to life

- killing a love partner violates morally acceptable ways of dealing with

problems in relationships, especially intimate relationships and of expressing
our discontent or unhappiness with our lovers

- Killing a love partner violates our understanding of what love is. It is betrayal
of the trust the partner had in the person they were having or had an intimate
relationship with

- The love partner who is killed may the mother or father of a child or children
the couple had together. This can be emotionally traumatic and can also put the
children in a moral dilemma. They do not know whether to love and trust the
parent who committed the crime.

- It can break up family relationships because the dead person’s family will
always blame and even hate the killer for the loss of their loved one
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WAYS OF CURBING CRIMES RELATED TO SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS
Enforcing laws
The police should enforce laws by quickly arresting people who threaten their sexual
partners. The threats should never be treated as a private matter. There are laws that
make certain behaviour illegal. E.g. domestic violence act of 2008 makes it illegal to
intimidate, harass, damage property, stalk and abuse a sexual abuse.

Punishing people who commit crimes against their sexual partners

All crimes are punishable by the law, people who commit crimes against their sexual
partners should be tried in court of law and if found guilty, they should be punished
according to the law
Obtaining a restraining order
People who are being threatened or abused by their sexual partners can apply to
court of law for an order stopping their lover from threatening or abusing them
Counseling
Partners can go for counseling in order to find ways to solve their problems
peacefully. E.g. they can be taught conflict resolution skills and interpersonal and
coping skills
Infusion in school curriculum
Teaching learners about why it is wrong to commit crimes related to sexual
relationships and how to deal with problems that may arise in their interpersonal
relationships may help them to avoid engaging in crimes related to sexual
relationships

Public education
People can be educated on how to deal with problems which may occur in
relationships which could lead to crimes involving sexual partners, e.g. through drama
performances at public events and the mass media

PUNISHMENT

● This is the disciplinary action against somebody who has broken the law
or committed an offence.
● Punishment can be seen as a penalty given to an offender or someone
who has done wrong.

TYPES OF PUNISHMENT

Fine; the offender pays a certain amount specified by the court as a form of
punishment.
Imprisonment; this means keeping someone in a correctional institution for a
period of time in such a way that s/he may not interact with the public for a
certain period of time.
Probation: this is when a criminal usually a first time offender is let off but
warned. The offender is placed under official supervision for a period of time
not to repeat the same criminal activities.
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 Manual labour; this involves giving an offender physical work for a period of
time e.g. cutting grass
Corporal punishment; this involves giving an offender who has been found
guilty of breaking rules or laws some strokes/lashes (i.e.) whipping
Capital punishment; this involves sentencing a criminal to death.
Community arrest/service; this is when an offender has to work for period of
time helping in community projects or facilities.
House arrest; this is when people are confined to their houses. This is often
used on political prisoners of high social status.
Expulsion; being forced to leave the place or an institution as a form of
punishment.
Compensation; the offender pays the equal financial loss to the victim.

MORAL ISSUES RELATING TO PUNISHMENT

- does the punishment fit the crime

A generally accepted principle of justice is that the punishment should fit the
crime. This means more serious offences should be punished more severely than
minor offences. This is seen as just and fair and therefore morally right.

- is the punishment cruel, abusive, inhuman or degrading

punishment is considered cruel, abusive, inhuman and degrading punishment if it
involves deliberately causing loss of dignity, damaging a persons physical and
mental health and inflicting severe pain and suffering on a person. Eg. When a
person is beaten until he/she faints

- does the punishment violate human rights

Some types of punishment are believed to violate human rights of the people
being punished. Eg. Some people believe capital punishment violate the right to life

- Is the punishment age appropriate

Normally when children are punished, punishment is expected to be age
appropriate for their age. Children are not punished in the same way as adults
because they are considered immature and unable to make informed decisions
when they break rules and laws

- are people being punished equally and fairly

Punishing people equally means that people who commit similar crimes should be
given similar punishment. However they should also be punished fairly.

MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF CORPORAL PUNISHMENT

● It can help correcting deviant behaviour and maintain the moral standards
of the society. This is because most people fear pain and will avoid
misbehaving in order not to be beaten
● If correctly administered, only the wrong doers are punished. It is instant
punishment and does not involve inconveniencing other people unlike
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 other types of punishment such as detention
● It can help reduce overcrowding in prisons. This would allow prisons to
focus on rehabilitating and supervising offenders who have committed
more serious crimes
● Corporal punishment when administered in anger and excessively can be
cruel degrading and humiliating. It can also make children rebellious
● can damage the relationship between parents, guardians or teachers and
children
● it has a negative effect on the self esteem of the person receiving the
punishment
● teaches people that it is morally acceptable to use violence and inflict pain
as a form of punishment

THE PURPOSE OF PUNISHMENT

1. Vindication
This is based on the desire to revenge not to forgive. This could be cruel or unfair

2. Retribution
This is the idea that someone deserves to be punished, if s/he breaks the law. The
criminal is punished in such a way that s/he will feel the pain s/he has caused the
victim. This is ‘eye for an eye’ and ‘a tooth for a tooth’. It is assumed that a person was
aware of what s/he was doing and should pay the price for bad behaviour. - it makes
wrong doers pay a price for what they have done, that is an eye for an eye. If you have
done something wrong you have to be made to feel the consequences so that you do
not repeat it.
- it gives a clear message on a society’s expected moral behaviour, it means that
punishment serves at uplifting the societal norms of values of keep law and order in
society by punishing the wrong doers.

3. Rehabilitation/ Reformative
This is idea that someone can become a better person after a period of punishment
i.e reform or change the character of the criminal to a responsible person. In contrast
to retribution, it assumes that the criminal can not take full responsibility of him/
herself when s/he committed crime.

4. Protection
This is intended to offer people security against criminals. The most common way to
offer security against criminals is to lock them up in prison. - it protect people from
criminals by putting them in prisons that is those wrong doers will be separated from
the society thus helping in reducing number of criminals
- to ensure that there is peace and harmony in society because wrong doers will be
put into trials and can end up being secluded

5. Deterrence
This is intended to scare off potential criminals. It aims to stop people from
committing crimes more than once and also hopes to stop people from ever
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committing crime.

THE ROLE OF CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Correctional institutions are concerned with punishing criminals and improving their
behaviour

1. THE KGOTLA
- It tries cases and ensures that criminals are punished e.g. if someone stole a goat he
may repay back with a goat or two
- The Kgosi and the elders give the criminal guidance and counseling in order to
improve his behaviour
- it uses corporal punishment a lot in order to punish the criminal and to prevent others
who were thinking of doing the same offence.

2. PRISONS
- they protect the society from criminals by keeping criminals away from the society
- they provide criminals with some opportunities for self improvement e.g. being
trained in carpentry, brick laying, and knitting.
- they act as deterrent because they discourage criminals from committing crimes
again and deter those who were thinking of committing similar crimes
- The criminals are offered guidance and counseling about the moral implications
and consequences of committing crimes

3. REHABILITATION CENTRES
- They are concerned with correcting and improving the behaviour of offenders
- they provide offenders with programmes that will help them to recognize what they
have done wrong, boost their self confidence and make them less likely to commit
crimes again.

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
Capital punishment refers to death penalty or when person who have committed a
serious crime is punished by being killed.

TYPES OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

- hanging the person by the neck
- electrocution whereby a person is put into an electric chair and is given a very
large electric shock which will kill him
- lethal injection is when a person is given an injection that causes instant death
- firing squad the person is blind folded and a small group of soldiers shoot him/
her till he/she dies
- Stoning
- Gas chamber
- beheading

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 MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

● It deters some people from committing offence s punishable by death

such as murder
● By putting a dangerous criminal to death ensures that he or she does not
re- offend and the rest of society would feel safer
● People, who are found guilty of serious crimes such as murder, do not
deserve to live. By committing such crimes, they would have given up their
right to life
● The death penalty brings justice to the victim, the victim’s family and the
offender
● There is a risk of killing innocent people because the police who
investigate cases and judges in the courts are not perfect
● It is permanent and irreversible form of punishment. It is morally
unacceptable to impose punishment on people that leaves no possibility of
correcting wrongful convictions and helping people reform

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HUMAN RIGHTS
Human rights are
- universal ethical principles
- are universal moral rights that belong morally to all people because they are all
human beings
- are what people are entitled to irregardless of their gender race and colour or age
A right is an entitlement

ARTICLE 1
- “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are
endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in
the spirit of brotherhood”
This article states that all people are free and equal simply because they are human
beings. People should be treated the same and there should be no discrimination.
Human beings can tell the difference between right and wrong, so they should treat
each other well. Our conscience and ability to reason should enable us to treat each
other in the spirit of brotherhood and that involves treating each other with kindness,
dignity, equality, fairness, respect empathy, generosity, botho etc.

REASONS FOR UPHOLDING THIS HUMAN RIGHT

- To encourage people to treat others as equally worthy to be treated with
respect and dignity
- To encourage individuals and governments to act in a morally acceptable ways
- To give individuals a sense of worth or that they are valuable simply because
they are human
- To protect individuals from discrimination, abuse and exploitation especially
by governments and individuals who have power
- This is the minimum necessary for human beings to live in dignity

ARTICLE 2.
- “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this declaration,
without distinction of any kind such as race, colour, sex, language, religion,
political, or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other
status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of political,
jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person
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 belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non- self governing or under any other
limitation or sovereignty”
This article acknowledges that people and countries are different in many ways.
However the article requires that these differences should not prevent people from
enjoying their rights and freedoms as stated in the UDHR. Human rights are for all,
without distinction and regardless of the status of the country or territory to which
they belong. This article is based on the principles of equality and non- discrimination
in the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms

REASONS FOR UPHOLDING THIS HUMAN RIGHT

- It protects all human beings from suffering as a result of being denied their
human rights
- It protects individuals from discrimination
- It encourages tolerance and respect for all human beings regardless of our
differences

ARTICLE 4
- “No one should be held in slavery or servitude; slavery or the slave trade shall
be prohibited in all their forms”

Article 4 prohibits slavery, servitude and the slave trade in all their forms. Slavery is
the status or condition of a person who is owned by another person as his or her
property. Servitude is the condition of being forced to work for someone else and
having no freedom to determine ones way of life. Slavery is a form of servitude. Slave
trade refers to the buying and selling of human beings so that they can be used as
slaves

REASONS FOR UPHOLDING THIS HUMAN RIGHT

- To prevent exploitation of other people by forcing them to work under harsh
conditions and not paying them
- To encourage people to treat others with dignity. Making other person to work
as a slave violates their right to dignity
- To enable all human beings to enjoy their human rights and freedoms

ARTICLE 13
1. Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the boarders
of each state.

2. Everyone has a right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his
country

This article protects the right of individuals to move freely and choose where to live
within a country. Freedom of movement and residence within a country is essential for
one to be able to travel, work, or build a home in any part of the country. International
travel and migration and being able to return to ones country of origin are also
protected by this article. For instance a person should be able to legally go and work
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or study in another country and come back to his or her country.

THE REASONS FOR UPHOLDING THIS RIGHT

- To protect the independence and autonomy of every individual to decide when
to travel, where to and where to live for example people can go to other
countries to study or work.
- To protect t the right of refugees and other migrants to return to their
countries of origin, even if they have been away for many years

ARTICLE 15
1. Everyone has a right to a nationality.
2. no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality or denied the right to change
his nationality

This article protects every person’s right to a nationality, which is a person’s status of
belonging to a particular nation or state. It also protects individuals from having their
nationality taken away or being prevented from changing nationality or n o good
reason. Having a nationality is important because it is part of a person’s identity.

REASONS FOR UPHOLDING THIS HUMAN RIGHT

- Having a nationality gives people a sense of belonging, identity and worth
- Nationality enables individuals to claim protection for their human rights from
the country they belong to. Without nationality, a person becomes stateless and
cannot claim to be a citizen of any country or state.

ARTICLE 16

1- Men and woman of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or
religion, have a right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal
rights as to marriage, during marriage and its dissolution
2- Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the
intending spouses
3- The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled
to protection by society and the state

This article protects the rights of every adult to marry and have children if they want
to. A person cannot be prevented from marrying and having children due to their race,
nationality or religion. Men and women have the same rights when they marry and
when they divorce. Individuals have to give their free and full consent and should not
be forced to marry.

REASONS FOR UPHOLDING THIS HUMAN RIGHT

- To ensure that no adult is denied the right to marry and establish a family
- It promotes gender equality. Men and women have the same marriage and
divorce rights
- It recognises the autonomy of individuals and their right not to be forced into
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 marriages
- The family is recognised as the foundation of the society and should be
protected by society and the state

WHY WE SHOULD NOT VIOLATE OTHER PEOPLES RIGHTS TO ATTAIN OUR RIGHTS

- All human beings are equally entitled to human rights, therefore when we
claim or exercise our rights, we should do it in the ways that do not prevent
others from enjoying these rights. It is important that each person is able to
enjoy his or her rights without interference

- Not violating other peoples rights can help create peace and harmony in
society. Violating another person’s right to attain ones rights may results in
conflicts people between people which could lead to violence.

- Not violating the rights of others shows tolerance and promotes mutual
respect. Mutual respect and tolerance are essential for building good
relationships among people. Good relationships lead to people to trust each
other and live and work well together

- We should lead by example by allowing other people to enjoy their rights as

we exercise ours. It would not be fair or just to demand that other people
respect our rights when we don’t respect theirs

- By not violating other peoples rights we are carrying out moral duty to respect
human dignity and equality

POSSIBLE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN BOTSWANA

- violence against women and the abuse of women

- corporal punishment- this is commonly used in our customary courts and
schools
- incest, rape and other forms of child abuse

- capital punishment- it is a violation because it denies people the right to life

- Relocation of Basarwa from the Kalahari game reserve- they have lost access
to their ancestral land. They are vulnerable to exploitation due to isolation,
ignorance of rights and lack of representation in local or national government
- Ageism- it is common in Setswana culture to discriminate old people because
they are usually associated with witchcraft.
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 - Tribalism- we still have people who discriminate others on the basis of tribe in
Botswana
- Discrimination against people with disabilities
- The failure of the ministry of education to provide schooling in indigenous
languages for minority tribes, this amounts to discrimination on ethnic basis
- Obtaining evidence through coercion(force) by the prosecution, despite the
fact that such evidence is not accepted in Botswana courts
- Child labour
- Discrimination of women in customary marriages- women in customary
marriages are still regarded as minors under the control and authority of their
husbands
- Discrimination against men
-Mob justice
-

POSSIBLE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS ELSEWHERE

1. SLAVERY AND SERVITUDE

A slave is a person who is ill- treated and owned by another person and he/she has no
rights as an individual as he/she is treated as slavery, people are made to work heavy
tasks against their will and they are not paid. In the past, there has been slave trade
whereby black people were traded because they were seen as inferior and inhuman

2. THE USE OF TORTURE

The use of torture to get information or confessions from people suspected of having
committed crimes and to punish political opponents occurs across the world

3. DEATH PENALTY
The death penalty is still used in many countries to punish various crimes. Some use it
only for murder and treason. Others use it for various crime s including drug
trafficking corruption and adultery.
.

4. DISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF HIV STATUS

Discrimination against people who are HIV positive has been reported in many
countries. For example some people living with AIDS have been denied employment
and training opportunities or have been dismissed from work because of their status

5. RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE

Religious intolerance has been reported in many countries in the world. Sometimes
this has led to violent attacks against people of different religions and to
discriminatory laws being made

5. ATTACKS ON FOREIGN IMMIGRANTS

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Attacks by citizens on foreign immigrants has been reported in many countries,
including South Africa, Germany etc. foreigners are attacked for a variety of reasons,
including xenophobia and the claim by the citizens that the foreigners are taking away
their jobs by accepting low wages

JUSTIFICATION FOR ACTIONS THAT MAY BE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

Death penalty
Supporters of the death penalty give various reasons to justify the use of capital
punishment. Below are some of the reasons they give.
- By committing murder, the murderer loses his or her right to life.
- It deters others from committing crimes punishable by death such as murder. `
- A dangerous criminal cannot re- offend once they are put to death. This helps make
the society safer.
- The death penalty brings justice to the victim and victim’s family.

Corporal punishment
Corporal punishment is still practiced in some societies, including Botswana.
Supporters of corporal punishment give various reasons as justification for use of
corporal punishment. Below are some of the reasons they give.
- it helps in moral development of the children because it corrects deviant behaviour.
For example, the setswana proved ‘ya mosimane ke e nkgwe’ encourages the use of
corporal punishment in disciplining children
- Corporal punishment is part of the traditional culture of the community. It has
always been used to punish offenders and is an accepted by the community.
- It helps reduce overcrowding in prisons because instead of sending offenders to
prison, they receive their Punishment quickly and are released.

Child labour
Some people give the following reasons to justify the use of child labour.
- Many of these children are from very poor families. The money they earn
enables their families to pay for their basic needs and to survive.
- Preventing children from working on farms, in factories, mines and private
homes, may lead some of them to engage in immoral ways of earning money
for example, through stealing, selling illegal drugs, and even prostitutions.

The use of torture

Some of the reasons gives by governments to justify torturing people suspected of
committing crimes include the following
- it enables the police and security officers to get confessions that suspest
would not otherwise make voluntarily.
- The information obtained from suspects can help solve crimes or prevent
further crimes being committed.

Discrimination on the basis of HIV status

Some of the reasons given for discriminating against people who are HIV positive
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include ;
- they may infect other people around them, for example friends, co- workers or
school mates
- an HIV positive person will become sick in future. The company cannot afford to
employ and pay someone who will be absent from work often due to an HIV related
illness.

Religious intolerance.
Some of the reasons given to justify religious intolerance or discrimination include;
- a particular religion is the only true religion or faith. Other religions or faiths
are false or wrong.
- Members of a particular religion or faith are a threat to the security of the
country.
- The beliefs and teachings of a religion are against the political, moral and
social values held by the majority of people in the society.
-
HOW HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AFFECTED HUMAN LIFE

Human rights violations have many negative effects on the life of individuals.
Violations also affect whole groups of people such as families and communities.
Below are some effects of human right violations on human life.

Loss of life
Some human rights violations may lead to death of some individuals whose rights are
violated. Some women have died as a result of domestic violence. It can also result in
loss of life for the person who violates the rights of others, for example, a person who
commits murder may be sentenced to death as punishment. The denial of right to
health care can lead to the unnecessary deaths of people from diseases that are
preventable or can easily be cured with available medicines.

Physical and emotional trauma

Victims of human rights violations acts such as domestic violence, torture and rape
may suffer from physical injuries and emotional trauma. Some of them may be
unable to work and live a normal life again because of their experiences. Physical
injuries caused by torture may result in a person being paralysed and to walk again.

Disruption to family life

Human rights violations such as arbitrary arrests and the unlawful killing of political
opponents or crime suspects can disrupt family life. If the victim is the breadwinner of
the family, his or her family can become poorer as a result.

People’s ability to earn a living is limited

Human rights violation can affect the ability of people to earn a living and improve the
quality of their life. For example, people who are denied the right to .education will not
have opportunities get the skills, knowledge and qualifications they need to seek good
paying jobs. Arbitrary arrest and imprisonment without being tried by a court of law
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can lead to people losing their jobs.
In South Africa, under the apartheid system, black people were offered poor quality
education and most well paying jobs were reserved for white people. As a result, even
after apartheid was abolished, the majority of black people are still very poor. Most of
the unemployed are black people.

Lack of peace and security

When there is violation of human rights in a country, conflict between communities
may occur which may lead to civil war. War and conflicts may result in people being
attacked in their homes .the lack of safety, usually forces them to become refugees in
other countries. For example, in war torn countries such as Somalia, Sudan, and the
Democratic Republic of Congo, many people have fled and sought refuge in other
countries in Africa and elsewhere.

OTHER EFFECTS COULD BE THE FOLLOWING;

1. PERSONAL 2. SOCIAL
Fear hatred
Low self esteem depression
Death lack of trust in humanity
Physical and emotional pain anger
Psychological trauma

3. GLOBAL

Wars
conflicts
Mistrust between nations
Lack of social, economic and cultural development

ORGANISATIONS THAT RESPOND TO HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

1. AFRICAN UNION
It has laid objectives that it uses to ensure that all African citizens have access to the
basic rights to safety, education, peace, health and stability. E.g. the economic
cooperation in transportation and communication, healthy sanitation, cooperation for
defence and security. One of the objectives of the AU is to promote and to protect
Human and the people’s rights in accordance with the African charter on human and
people’s rights and other relevant Human Rights instruments

2. RED CROSS SOCIETY

The main task of Red Cross is to care for the sick, destitute’s, provide social welfare,
HIV/AIDS programme, blood donation, to help those who are affected by natural
disasters like floods and hunger. Its work is guided by the principle that all human
beings have the right to life.

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3. EMANG BASADI WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION

It aims at removing all the laws that discriminate against women at home and at the
work place. It also offers psychological and legal advice to abused women. Increases
awareness among women and the public in general about the specific problems faced
by women in all sectors. It also mobilise women to take steps that will help change the
social, political, economic and legal position of women in Botswana.

4. WOMEN AGAINST RAPE (WAR)

It is a human right organisation which assists mainly women and children who have
been raped and sexually abused. They do also help men who need their services

5. THE BOTSWANA CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (DITSHWANELO)

It hosts workshops in which it offers information and advocates on human rights

issues, with the main aim of promoting and protecting human rights, especially for the
underprivileged and discriminated. It ensures that every citizens rights are observed
as stated in the declaration.

6. AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

It is a voluntary body and is independent of any government, political faction, ideology

or religion. It is responsible to protect human life all over the world especially to fight
against imprisonment and torture of prisoners of conscience that is people locked up
for their beliefs or religions. It aims at fair trials on people who are imprisoned and to
abolish the death penalty throughout the world. It also campaigns against
immigration laws, which prevent women and their families from joining their
husbands in different countries.

7. BOTSWANA NETWORK ON ETHICS, LAW AND HIV/AIDS (BONELA)

The aim of the organisation is to create a just environment for those infected and
affected by HIV and AIDS. It strives to fight HIV related stigma and discrimination and
to promote respect for human rights

SUCCESSES AND LIMITATIONS OF ORGANISATIONS

ORGANISATION SUCCESS LIMITATIONS

AMNESTY - With its publication of countries, - requires more material and
INTERNATIONAL which violate human rights, most human resources to do a
countries are improving their way better job.
of treating people. - hindered by a serious lack of
- has more than 2.2 million cooperation by certain
members supporters and governments and
subscribers in over 150 countries unconstitutional policies made
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 within some countries
DITSHWANELO - has established a fulltime human - lack of adequate resources
rights centre and organized many both material and human.
human rights debates. - Poor moral support from
- it has succeeded in informing and many local stakeholders.
educating people against the cases - ignorance by many citizens
they have been unfairly judged concerning their rights due to
- has done much to educate people lack of education.
about the dangers of HIV/AIDS
ORGANISATION OF - it has settled boarder disputes - there are disputes between
AFRICAN UNITY - it has supported blacks majority members that OAU cannot
rules in some countries solve.
- disagreements between
countries leading to action
taken
RED CROSS - has build day care centers for - lack of safety e.g. during wars
children’s education and - lack of moral support
rehabilitation centers - lack of human and natural
- offers emotional support resources
- raising funds to help the needy
- support is given to those who
need it, e.g. restitutes, those
affected by natural disasters

DISTINGUISH BETWEEN GENDER AND SEX

● Sex refers to the biological characteristics that a person is born with as a male
or female

● Gender refers to characteristics or attributes such as the social and cultural

roles, rights, responsibilities and behaviour that a particular society or culture
consider appropriate for males and females.

PRACTICES THAT VIOLATE WOMEN’S RIGHTS

A)MARRIAGE RIGHTS

Women have less marriage rights than men. According to the Botswana marriage act
when parents of a minor disagree on the consent of a minor’s marriage, the father’s
consent is sufficient for the minor to get married. All people should be treated equally
because women rights are human rights. They have the same saying as the males.
Women are to be respected for their skill and knowledge in the matters of childcare,
cooking and house keeping

B)ECONOMIC RIGHTS
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 Women have less property than men. If they need something, e.g. getting a bank loan,
they have to seek permission from their husbands. Nowadays they are free to own
property and are entitled to apply for the same jobs as men and get the same pay

C)DIVORCE RIGHTS

Women are also entitled to sign divorce papers to their husbands if they feel the
marriage does not work. She has the right to divorce her husbands on the grounds of
adultery, desertation and unreasonable behaviour
D) FORCED MARRIAGES
some parents force their daughters to marry. Girls as young as 13 years have been
forced into marriages arranged by their parents. Such cases have been reported in
countries such as United Kingdom, Zambia Nigeria and others.

E)WIFE SECLUSION
It refers to the practice of not allowing a married woman to interact with the members
of the public. She is kept isolated from the outside world and she can only leave her
home with the permission of the husband. When she goes out her whole body must be
covered. this practice is found in Islamic societies such as Saudi Arabia and Nigeria

PRACTICES THAT VIOLATE MEN’S RIGHTS

1. RESPONSIBILITIES CONCERNING CHILDREN

Responsibilities of men and women over the care of the children are not balanced.
Only men can be charged and punished for child maintenance. This may be done
irregardless of the financial status of the man. Even though the husbands are
sometimes denied the custody of their children they may be directed to pay
maintenance fees until the children reach 21 years of age.

2. SEXUAL HARASSMENT

In the Botswana penal code, females (unlike males) are supposed to be protected
from different forms of sexual abuse and harassment, like indecent assault,
defilement of girls under 16 years, detention of females for immoral purposes etc.
this needs to be changed as males also need protection.

3. PUNISHMENT

Male punishment is often harsher than the female punishment. E.g. the Botswana
penal code states that “ no sentence of corporal punishment shall be passed upon
females”. According to the Botswana education act, male students can be beaten on
their buttocks, backs and palms of the hand but female students can be beaten on the
palms.

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STATUS OF MEN AND WOMEN IN MARRIAGE

In Botswana, the status of men and women in marriage depends on the marriage law
under which a couple is married. There are two legal systems for marriage; the
common or civil and the customary law.

Status of men and women in customary law marriage

Under the customary law, men and women do not have the same status. The abolition
of Marital Power Act 2005 which indicates that indicates that men and women shall
have equal powers in marriage, does not apply to people married under the customary
law. In customary law marriages, men have marital power over women. Husbands are
the heads of their families and they have guardianship rights over women and
children.

Under the customary law,

● If a married couple divorce, the custody of the children is traditionally granted
to the father’s family.
● Women have limited rights to family assets and resources. For example cattle
are said to belong to men.
● Polygamy is acceptable; however a man can only take another wife with the
consent of the first wife.
● Where there is no written will, the eldest son has more property inheritance
rights than his sisters and mother. The widow and daughters are not entitled to
inherit much of the family estate, especially valuable property such as cattle.
The eldest son is regarded as the principal heir and becomes the guardian of
his mother and sisters.

Status of men and women in common or civil law marriage

In Botswana, people who marry under the common can choose to marry ‘in
community’ or ‘out of community of property’. Below is the status of men and women
in marriage ‘in community of property’ and ‘out of community of property’.

Status of men and women in community of property

Since the abolition of Marital Power Act of 2005 was passed, men and women
married in community of property have equal status in the ownership and control of
family property and resources, including the property they owned before they got
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married. In addition,

● They can register immovable property in their own names.

● No spouse can sell or get rid of property without the consent of the other. The
act requires that the consent of the other spouse has to be sought when selling
or giving away property since the property is jointly owned.
● In case of the death of the spouse, the surviving spouse has the legal right to
inherit the property.
● Decisions in the family have to be jointly made. The views of the husband and
wife should be taken into consideration during the decision making process.

Status of men and women out of community of property

Being married out of community of property means that the husband and wife own
their property separately, except where it can be proven that they both contributed to
the cost of buying the property. In case of death of the spouse, the surviving spouse
only has the legal right to inherit the property jointly owned. For property individually
owned, each partner can decide who his or her beneficiaries are.

STATUS OF MEN AND WOMEN IN EDUCATION

When formal education was introduced in Botswana, many families did not consider
taking girls to school. Most of the children who were sent to school were boys. Many
families preferred to pay school fees for a boy child because boys were expected to
become providers for their families later in life. Girls were socialised to know that they
do not need to be educated because they would marry and be provided by their
husbands.

In present day Botswana, males and girls have equal status in access to education
and training. However, some subject choices still appear to be gender biased.

STATUS OF MEN AND WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT

Men have led development in Botswana because they occupy most of the leadership
and decision making positions in private companies and government. Men also own
and control most of the resources that individuals use to create wealth, for example,
cattle and land, and as a result, men dominated development efforts in the country.
Formal employment statistics also show that more men than women are employed.

Increasing acceptance and understanding of gender equality has helped improve the
status of women in development. For example,

● Discriminatory laws were changed to allow women to work underground in

mines and married women can apply for loans without having to seek approval
of their husbands first.

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 ● Women now actively participate in the development of the country in various
ways. For instance, some are business owners, many women are in formal
employment and a few hold high positions of leadership in private companies
and in government.

● The government has invested a lot of money improving facilities and services
for the health care of women, for example, ante- natal clinics, and prevention
of mother to child transmission of HIV.
THE STATUS OF MEN AND WOMEN IN ZIMBABWE

THE STATUS OF MEN AND WOMEN IN MARRIAGE

The status of men and women in marriage in Zimbabwe varies according to the law
under which the couple is married. E.g. civil law marriage or customary law marriage

- Polygyny is not allowed under civil marriages

- in civil marriages spouses have equal rights with regard to parental authority
- The legal minimum age for civil marriage is 18 years for men and 16 years for
women. This makes the girl more vulnerable to early marriages, early
pregnancies, and premature motherhood.

- The customary marriage act allows a man to marry many wives. Under this act
a man can sue for adultery but the wife cannot do the same

- young widows an be inherited by their late husbands relatives and more often
the brother

- Some men dominate women. they have more control and power in the family
matters than their wives

- Their are some cases in which childless widows are chased from their homes
by their in- laws

THE STATUS OF MEN AND WOMEN IN EDUCATION

Currently Zimbabwe is one of the countries with a high literacy rate compared to after
independence when the country inherited a racially biased education system from the
colonial government. This education negatively affected the black people especially
women. It lowered the status of men and women in education.

The political and economic crises in Zimbabwe have negatively affected the
education system. since education in Zimbabwe is not free, parents struggle to keep
their children in schools and schools have a serious shortage of resources

THE STATUS OF MEN AND WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT

Traditionally men dominated development because they owned or controlled most of

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the economic resources e.g. land cattle, and money. They also dominated the
important political and economic positions in the society. Most women did not own or
control resources that would have enabled them to participate effectively in economic
development. However as a result of efforts by various non- governmental
organisations and the government, more women are able to participate in and benefit
from development

CHILDREN’S RIGHTS

What are children’s rights?

- What children are entitled to or have.
- Are there principles of fairness and justice that ensure children’s freedom?

CHILD
- According to the UN charter a child is person under the age of 18.
- the children’s act defines a child as the person under the age of 14.
- adoption of the children act defines a child as the person under the age of 19.

Law Position of a child in the law Rights of a child in the law

The defilement - A child is a person under the The right to be protected from sexual
of a child act age of 16 abuse and exploitation
- A child is a minor who legally
is not old enough to give
informed consent to sex
The - The minimum age for basic - The right to be protected
employment act employment of children is 15 from economic exploitation
years. and from hazardous work.
- The minimum age for basic - The right of the child to rest
employment of children for and leisure, to engage in play
hazardous work is 18 years. and recreational activities.
- The law protects children from - The right to education.
being exploited as cheap labour
and being exposed to situations
which endanger their life.
The child - A child is a person below the - The right to protection from
maintenance Act age of 18 years. However, if the neglect.
child is still a student, the age - The right to a standard of
limit can be extended until such living adequate for his or her
time when a child is no longer a physical, mental, spiritual,
dependent. moral and social development.
The Adoption of - A child is a person under the - The right to a standard of living
a child age of 19. adequate for his or her physical,
- A child is a minor, so the law mental, spiritual, moral and social
requires that a court of law has development.
to approve an adoption. This is - The right to be protected from
done in order to protect the abuse, neglect and exploitation.
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 rights and interests of the child
to be adopted.
- A child cannot apply to be
adopted. It is the adult or the
adults, who want to adopt the
child who have to apply for
permission to adopt.
Deserted Wives - A child is the person under the - The right to a standard of living
and Children age of 16 years, or who is older adequate for his or her physical,
Protection Act than 16 tears but less than 21 mental, spiritual, moral and social
years old and is not earning his development.
or her own living. - The right to be protected from any
- A child is said to being having form of abuse.
been deserted by his or her
father if that child is without
adequate means of support and
the father has without sufficient
cause refused or neglected to
provide such a child with food or
other necessaries of life, or the
child has left or has been
removed from the home of the
father because of the acts of
cruelty of the father or the
father is a habitual drunkard.

THE RIGHTS OF A CHILD AS INDICATED IN THE CHILDREN’S CHARTER

● The right to be treated without discrimination of any kind, irrespective of race,

colour, sex, language, religion or other status.
● The right to life, survival and development.
● The right to be registered immediately after birth, have a name, a nationality
and to preserve his or her identity.
● The right to be protected from injury or abuse including sexual abuse, while in
the care of parents or any other person.
● The right to a standard of living adequate for the child’s mental, spiritual,
moral and social development.
● The right to education that develops the child’s personality, talents and mental
and physical abilities.
● The right to be protected from economic exploitation, from hazardous work
and all other forms of exploitation.
● The right to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities
appropriate to the age of the child.
● The right to enjoy his or her own culture, religion or language.
● The right to the highest attainable standard of health including access to
primary health care, nutritious foods and clean drinking water.
● The right of the disabled child to special care and the right to enjoy a full and
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 decent life in conditions which ensure dignity.

CHILDREN’S RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING;

● Learn and be aware of their rights.

When children are aware of their rights they will be able to know when their rights
are being violated. They will know what is right and wrong and know when they are
being exploited.

● Report violations of their rights

Children who are abused by elderly people should take the responsibility and
report the behaviour. At
times parents and care givers are unable to identify when their children are
abused until the children
report the act. Reporting a violation of rights will bring a stop to the abuse and
make a child to take
control of their life and develop well.

● Not violate the rights of other people

Children have the responsibility not to violate other people’s rights. They should
respect other
people’s rights, both young and old.

● Work hard at school and do the best they can

Children have a right to education, however, they have a responsibility to work
hard at school and
do the best they can. It is the child’s responsibility to pay attention in class, do
their assignments on
time and prepare well for tests and examinations.

● Obey family rules and the laws of the country

Families have rules which govern the behaviour and rules of its members.
Children have the responsibility to obey those rules. For example, older children
may be required to help at home by doing age appropriate family chores. They
may be asked to be responsible for giving food to their families’ pets. Children also
have the responsibility to obey and uphold the laws of their country.

THE PLACE OF CHILD IN THE FAMILY AND SOCIETY

● Children represent the continuity of the family and society. Children are the
future generation. They grow up to become adults and have children of their
own. They are the future leaders of the society. This allows the family and the
society to continue to exist.
● Children bring happiness and pleasure to the family. Most parents want to
have children of their own to love and watch them grow. In many cultures,
having children is seen as a sign of adulthood.
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 ● In patrilineal cultures the boy child is valued because he carries the family
name. When he grows up, marries and has children, the children bear his
surname. This helps to continue the family name.
● Children help with the family chores such as cooking, cleaning, washing and
sweeping. In the past, children were an important source of labour in the
family, for example, they helped raise crops and livestock. For the society,
children are the future workers. This is why countries spend a lot of money on
educating and training children and young adults.
● In cultures where bogadi is given to the woman’s family upon marriage, the girl
child is valued for her future potential to bring wealth to her family.
● In some cultures, children were valued because later on in life, they took care
of their elderly parents and would advise them. A Setswana proverb says ‘
Botlhale jwa phala bo tswa phalaneng’ meaning that children can advise their
parents.
● Children are considered the rightful heirs to their parent’s property.

THE PLACE OF A CHILD WITH DISABILITY IN THE SOCIETY

Some children have disabilities, for example, they may be visually or hearing impaired
or have a physical or mental disability. It is important that children with disabilities are
equally important in the society and are worthy of special care and protection like all
other children.

Children with disability in Botswana are entitled to all the rights and protections stated
in the UN Children’s Charter. They are also entitled to the rights stated in the
Constitution and to the children’s rights protected laws of Botswana

Disability is not inability and therefore children who have disabilities should be given
opportunities to develop and use their talents as best as they can. For example,
special education relevant to their disability should be made available to enable them
to go to school. Public buildings such as schools, clinics, hospitals and offices can
provide ramps, wide doors, and special toilets to accommodate children who use
wheel chairs.

PARALLELS BETWEEN THE BOTSWANA’S CONSTITUTION AND THE CHILDREN’S

CHARTER

Both the constitution and the charter put emphasis on certain rights. For example;

- The right to life

- the right to education.
- the right to privacy.
- the right to freedom of expression.
- The right to name and nationality.
- The right to protection from all forms of discrimination
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 - The right to protection against any form of abuse and inhuman treatment

The difference that we find that the constitution at tempts to into practice include
the following ;

*the age of which someone is a child in the constitution is when he/she is under the
age of 21 but in the charter is 18 years.
*Botswana law does not guarantee non- discrimination on the basis of gender.
*provision of right within Botswana’s constitution do not have certain restriction
however, enjoyment of right in children charter do have certain restrictions
* Unmarried women have the responsibility of raising the child alone without contact
from the father.
*in the constitution and in education act it is unclear in addressing punishment but
charter for birds punishment and regard it as inhuman treatment.
Different acts vary in their definition of a child e.g. the children’s act says that a child is
a person under the age of 14, while the adoption of children’s act says that a child is a
person under the age of 19

CHILD ABUSE
It is deliberate cause of pain and suffering to children.
- any deliberate act by an adult that violates the rights of a child and harms the
welfare and the wellbeing of the child

COMMON CHILD ABUSE PRACTICES.

1. PHYSICAL ABUSE.
Physical abuse involves the deliberate use of physical force that causes pain and
injury to the physical body
The abuse affects the body e.g. severe beating, broken bone, and bruises on different
parts of the body, swollen body parts, wounds, and burns. It can also take the form of
kicking, pinching, scratching or pulling the hair. This affects the body of a child and
can sometimes lead to death if it excessive.

2. EMOTIONAL VERBAL AND MENTAL ABUSE.

Emotional abuse involves practices that hurt a child’s feelings and negatively affect
the child’s self concept, self esteem and self confidence
Examples of emotional abuse include, constant and unfair criticism, humiliating a
child, threatening a child, ignoring a child, preventing a child from engaging in normal
social interactions, not showing love and affection to a child, nagging etc.

3. SEXUAL ABUSE

This may include rape or any form of sexual contacts, sexual harassment,
encouraging children to watch pornographic videos, incest. The child may end up
showing signs of inappropriate behavior, acting older than their age, inability to form
healthy relationships.
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Other forms of child abuse include torture, abduction, denying the child the right to
education.

CAUSES OF CHILD ABUSE.

- alcohol and drug abuse.

- unreliable expectations from the child.
- unwanted childbirth.
- social isolation and rejection.
- marital conflicts and misunderstanding.
- shortage /or overcrowded accommodation.
- lack of family structure and stability.
- the ‘circle of disadvantage’, where by the parent’s abuse their children because they
have been abused when still young and their children later do the same.

SITUATIONS THAT MAY LEAD TO CHILD ABUSE

1. ACCEPTING GIFTS

Abusers normally tempt children by buying them presents and offering gifts and in
return demand sexual favours
2. DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE
Children who use drugs or are given drugs and alcohol by the abusers are likely to
indulge in unplanned sex or are even raped because they will be under the influence
of such drugs

3. POVERTY
Children from poor families may be tempted into prostitution in order to get material
support such as clothes, food, money etc.

4. SINGLE PARENT FAMILIES

A parent who has lost a loved one can be frustrated, lonely and stressed and may end
up abusing the children.

5. STEP PARENT FAMILY

Stepparents may sexually abuse their stepchildren because there is no biological or
emotional link between them.

6. OVERCROWDED OR INADEQUATE ACCOMMODATION,

This can encourage incest and under- aged sex because of lack of individual privacy

THE MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF CHILD ABUSE

- Morality demands that we should not deliherately harm others, especially

those who cannot protect themselves and are therefore most vulnerable, such
as children. Child abuse harms children. Child abuse harms children. It has
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 serious negative effects on children and may affect their behaviour, personality,
health and ability to live normally for the rest of their lives. This makes child
abuse morally unacceptable

- Peole who abuse children are doing what is morally unacceptable, therefore
every individual and government has a morally duty to prevebt it. Report it and
stop it. People should be informed and awareness should be raised about child
abuse issues. Offenders should be punished

- Parents and other adults have a moral duty to love and care for children.
Child abuse is an abondonment of this duty and it is the ultimate form of
betrayal of trust in a relationship between a parent and a child or an adult and a
child.
- The consequences of reporting child abuse can create a moral dilemma for
the child who is being abused, the person who is dealing with the child abuse
case, and other people who may be aware of the abuse. For example reporting
the abuse may lead to..
● The break up of the family
● the child being thrown out of the home and becoming homeless
● invasion of the privacy of the child and family
● a moral dilemma. If an abused child tels you about the abuse and asks you
to keep it a secret

THE IMPORTANCE OF TAKING CARE OF A CHILD

- Children cannot take care of themselves. They depend on their parents and
other adults to provide for and meet all their needs, for example, food, clothing
and shelter. Children who are not well cared for may:
● Suffer from malnutrition and die young
● Be forced to drop out of school and work in order to earn a living to survive
● Become involved

THE EFFECTS OF CARING FOR ONES CHILDREN

CHILD ABANDONMENT

Abandonment is to neglect, desert or leave alone

REASONS FOR CHILD ABANDONMENT

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a. UNPLANNED AND UNPLANNED PREGNANCY

Women who fall pregnant as a result of rape or incest normally desert their babies

b. TEENAGE PREGNANCY

Young girls who fall pregnant find the reality of raising a child as difficult and
stressing. They normally throw away, kill, or leave the baby alone in the bushes
because they are afraid of their parents and want to continue with their education

c. POVERTY
Children from poor families may be tempted to prostitution in order to feed
themselves, get money to buy drugs, clothes and even money. Poor families that
cannot feed their children normally leave them behind so that someone can find them
and take care of them. Sometimes they leave the babies in the act of showing love
and desperation and what is best for the children.

d. SINGLE PARENTHOOD
Single parenthood can be a very difficult and traumatic experience a
women .When they are kept by their babies father and mothers cannot provide for
the child’s need she can child or leave it with other family member

THE MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF CHILD ABANDONMENT

THE POSITION OF THE LAW WITH REGARD TO CHILD ABANDONMENT

In Botswana the law that the parents have to care for their children until the age of 21.
If parents fail to provide for their children and are found guilty, they may be
imprisoned, punished and made to pay maintenance of child abuse.

SOLUTIONS TO CHILD ABANDONMENT

- Avoiding unwanted pregnancies by the best use of contraceptives

- Acceptance of children irrespective of their physical or mental disabilities
- More severe punishment by the law courts
- Seeking adoption societies
- Support given to families for children with disabilities
- Support given to single parents
- Children’s rights been known by everyone and enforced by law.

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ANIMAL RIGHTS

Just like human beings, animals have rights. These rights also have to be respected.
Even the smallest of all animals do have rights. Just the mere fact that they exist on
along with human beings should indicate that they have a purpose to serve. These
animals play a very important role in the environment as they balance the ecosystem.

FUNCTIONS OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS

- They are source of food e.g. they produce meat and milk
- They can be used to provide security. e.g. dogs
- They can be used to provide transport, e.g. donkeys and horses
- They can be used as pets e.g. dogs and cats.
- They can be used as guidelines for the disabled people. E.g. dogs
- They can be used to provide raw materials e.g. we get leather from animal
hides.

FUNCTIONS OF WILD ANIMALS

- they are used as source of tourists attraction

- they are used on sporting activities like circus
- they are used as tribal identification like totems
- they are used as a source of raw materials as we obtain skins and tasks that
can be used to manufacture goods from animals

THE CONCEPTS OF ANIMAL RIGHTS

The concepts animal rights refer to the idea that animals have rights separate from
human demands. As people we should respect and care for the animals. They need to
be treated with respect because they are living things.

RELATIONSHIP OF ANIMALS TO PEOPLE

- they are used for companionship by people, e.g. dogs

- Animals are used as totems to symbolize an identity for tribes. These animals
are respected by their tribes, they don’t kill or eat them
- animals are used in African stories as characters, to teach moral stories
- they are sometimes used for worship purposes to make a sacrifice

CRUELTY TO ANIMALS

a) VIVISECTION
Using animals for scientific or medical experiments. New medicines are tested on
animals before they are tried on humans. Illnesses are sometimes deliberately
induced on animals and scientists try medicines on them before administering them
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on people.

b) PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPERIMENTS
Psychological experiments done in those animals that display similar behaviour
pattern of humans. e.g. apes and monkeys. They are ill- treated or denied certain
things to see their emotional/psychological effects.

C. BESTIALITY

This is where humans use animals to satisfy their sexual needs. It is a serious abuse
on animals because they cannot give consent to that.

D. VICIOUS BEATING

Beating animals in trying to make them run while carrying heavy loads usually causes
wounds on their bodies

E. CAPTIVITY

Placing animals in cages and denying them freedom of movement is a form of abuse.

F. STARVATION
Some people do not take care of their animals. Such animals are therefore forced to
fend for themselves especially dogs.

G. IN HUNTING SPORTS
Some animals may hunt animals for competition and they end up killing then
indiscriminately

WAYS OF PROTECTING ANIMALS FROM CRUELTY

- establishing laws that can protect animals against various forms of cruelty to
animals
- allowing captive animals to live in larger areas like private wildlife parks
- establishing alternative ways of developing drugs other than using animals
- people must adopt modern modes of transport other than using animals like
donkeys and horses
- establish organizations that will promote public campaigns on animal rights,
and speak strongly against all forms of animal abuse
- drawing up legislation that regulates the proper keeping of pet animals
- legislating against cruel methods of hunting and animal trapping

NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT REACT TO CRUELTY OF ANIMALS

i) SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS(SPCA)

- It provides public education, awareness, and enforcing laws related to animals
care and rights
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 -
1. KALAHARI CONSERVATION SOCIETY
- It helps campaigns against cruelty to animals by condemning poaching and
uncontrolled hunting. It raises public awareness and influences government
policy through the media seminars and conferences
- it helps in relocating animals to keep them in safe places

2. WORLD WIDE FUND FOR NATURE

- It safes endangered species
- It conserves the environment in which animals live
-
3. THE INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR ANIMAL WELFARE
- It protects wildlife
- It reduces commercial exploitation and trade of wild animals
- It works to improve the welfare of domestic and wild animals

GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT REACT TO CRUELTY TO ANIMALS

1. DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE AND NATIONAL PARKS

- Informs public about wildlife
- It monitors animal numbers and their well being
- It is responsible for management of game reserves and national parks

2. BOTSWANA DEFENCE FORCE ANTI POACHING UNIT

- It guards against poachers in some national parks e.g., they provide security
at chobe national park.

3. DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL HEALTH AND PRODUCTION

- It mostly controls animal diseases and provides treatment to animals when
they are sick.

THE ROLE OF INDIVIDUALS AND VARIOUS ORGANISATIONS IN PROTECTING ANIMAL

LIFE

INDIVIDUALS

- people should assist the government in enforcing the Laws on animals

protection and welfare
- people should campaign against cruel and degrading acts like bestiality, and
other forms of abuse
- people should resort to being vegetarians so that they reduce demand on
meat of animals
- initiate and support research to improve animal treatment
- ensure that their pets and working animals are well fed and are protected
from harsh weather conditions
- campaign against the use of animals in zoos and circuses
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ORGANISATIONS

- They should influence anti poaching laws in the country

- Contribute in protecting endangered species against poaching. E.g. keeping
them in more safer places like the Khama rhino centuary

BIO ETHICS

WORK ETHICS

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HUMANKIND AND THE ENVIRONMENT

What is physical environment?

It is the surroundings in which we live, which includes natural and physical features
such as hills, vegetation, rivers and man made objects like buildings.

Importance of the physical environment

● It provides the necessities for human life like food from natural vegetation.
● It is important for human survival, as it enables human beings to cultivate
land to grow food, and serve as natural pastures for livestock.
● It provides holy places to humankind E.g Mountains and forests can be
used as places of worship by people.
● it can provide people with raw materials that people can use to make their
shelter, e.g. sand from rivers.
● It provide water resource, as many villages in Botswana are supplied with
underground water
● Wild animals, which form part of the physical environment, can serve as
an important aspect of national/international tourist attraction, hence
enabling the country to earn a lot of revenues.
● Some elements of the physical environment like rivers and animals can
serve as a national pride, since they are resourceful to the country.

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

It means looking after the environment so that it retains its natural look for a longer
time, such that the future generations will be able to use it as well

MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF HUMANS AS CARETAKERS OF THE ENVIRONMENT

● Human beings have a right to use the environment for their daily needs
though they have to be responsible such that they avoid all types of pollution
and over population

● They should avoid cutting down trees especially those that are scarce, so that
the environment retains its natural beauty

● They should ensure endangered species of animas are kept in a more safe,
secure and well guarded place to avoid extinction
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 ● They should avoid desertification of agricultural land so that it remains
productive for them over a long period of time
.
● They should avoid substances that are not ozone friendly to avoid the
depletion of the ozone layer.

PEOPLE’S RIGHTS TO USE THE ENVIRONMENT

People have the right to the following from the environment

● adequate standard of living

● everyone has the right to develop themselves to their full potential by using
what is available in the natural environment
● countries have the right to economic and industrial development using natural
resources

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT IN BOTSWANA

There are a number of organization and individuals who take care of the environment
in Botswana. Some of these organizations include governmental and non
governmental organization.
The Botswana government has established several departments, which are
responsible for environmental management.

● Department of wildlife; which is responsible for managing wildlife through

protecting animals against poachers, and controlling hunting.

● Department of crop production in the ministry of agriculture; it educates

people regarding effective ways of cultivation such that they avoid soil erosion

● Department of animal production. Helps through educating the community on

common livestock diseases and how to control such diseases. E.g. foot and
mouth. It provides free and skilled personnel for vaccinating the animals

● The Botswana government has established a national tree- planting day,

where people are educated on the importance of trees as they serve as
windbreakers around their homes.

● In every district, the councils have established waste management

departments, which collect waste in villages including toilet draining.

● In Botswana there are annual cleaning campaigns, which aim to educate

people about the importance of keeping the environment clean.
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EFFECTS OF LARGE POPULATION ON THE ENVIRONMENT

An increased population results on the increased demand over available resources on

the environment. Some of the effects of large population on the environment may
include;

Pollution; if the population increases, the rate at which it brings about waste
increases, hence become unmanageable and may lead to spread of diseases.
Increased poverty; the large number of people in an area may lead to
shortage of land to grow crops and keep animals which may lead them into
poverty
Keeping large number of animals in a small area may lead to depletion
vegetation hence causing soil erosion and extinction of some plant species.
The large population of people may lead to high demand on natural resources
like vegetation that they use to construct shelter, hence leading to extinction of
certain type of plants that are mostly used
Global warming: large population leads to many animals in a given
environment and even cutting firewood. This will lead too much carbondioxide
in the atmosphere, which would lead temperature changes.

ENVIRONMENTAL MISMANAGEMENT

● Destroying the environment

● Using the environment unwisely
● Failing to protect the environment

EXAMPLES OF ENVIRONMENTAL MISMANAGEMENT

● Pollution of rivers and seas- this reduces water quality since its contaminated
leading to various diseases to humans such as water- bone diseases.
● Climate change- ozone being destroyed leading to cancer(Global warming)
● Deforestation and desertification this may leave the land bare thus being
vulnerable to erosion and global warming.
● Release of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and green house gases, release of
carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the atmosphere and destroy the ozone
molecules leading to the ozone layer being weak such that it cannot effectively
protect us from the sun’s violent rays.(ozone depletion)
● Littering- this involves dumping of waste products and this is not good to
peoples health and animals.
● Acid rain – This is rain water in which gases such as sulphur dioxide have
dissolved to make it acidic. This is caused by burning fossil fuels and sulphur
dioxide therefore may damage rivers, lakes, ground water, soil and forests.

WAYS IN WHICH PEOPLE CAN REACT TO ENVIRONMENTAL MISMANAGEMENT

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 ● Re- duce, Re- use, Recycle litter
● Tree planting: Afforestation
● Conserve water- avoid pollution of water by litter
● Walk instead of drive: reduce pollution of air by car fumes
● Joining environmental organizations
● Share resources
● Protect endangered species: fight poaching
● Join clean up campaigns

IMPACT OF ORGANISATIONS THAT REACT TO ENVIRONMENTAL MISMANAGEMENT

Green Peace
An international environmental organization founded in 1969. It promotes direct non-
violent action to try and prevent [project activities that they consider to be a threat to
the environment. They managed to reduce seal hunts, dumping toxic waste in the sea.

Worldwide Fund For Nature

It aims at protecting wild life and wild lands. It directs its conservation efforts towards
protecting endangered spaces, addressing global threats and saving endangered
species.

Friends of the earth

The largest international network of environmental groups. It campaigns on the
following: forests, ozone, desertification, climate change, sustainability, e.t.c

IMPACT OF ORGANISATIONS IN CONSERVING THE ENVIRONMENT

INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT

1. AGENDA 21
st
It stands for the agenda of the 21 century. Brazil hosted the Rio summit in 1991. the
summit was held as a result of global environmental worries. Agenda 21 is not a fixed
law, so it needs to be adopted by each national government if it is going to be
effective, and those who are committed to the environment can adopt it.

2. THE BIODIVERSITY CONVENTION

It aims to protect the wide variety of animal and plant life that exist on the planet,
before it is made extinct. In 1996, it was recognized that 25% of the mammal species
and 11% of the bird species were still at the risk of total extinction.

3. THE MONTREAL PROTOCOL

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It was formed in 1987 and an agreement was made to cut the use of chemicals that
damage the ozone layer. They agreed to reduce them by half by 1996 and to stop
using them altogether by the year 2000. Without this agreement, levels of ozone
depletion would have five times higher by 2050.
In the year 2000, the hole in the ozone layer above South America was causing people
to experience burnt skin within 7 minutes of being exposed to the sun.

4. THE REGIONAL SEAS PROGRAMME

It was developed by United Nations environment programmes for neighboring

countries to work hand in hand to prevent pollution in their common sea. Agreements
concerning other places e.g. Mediterranean sea, red sea were also drawn up but
some still experience pollution.

5. MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS

Large companies can have some impacts in the way people relate to the environment.
Companies may encourage people to consume items they really do not need through
advertising. Therefore, to control the power of the corporations the UN has drafted
some guidelines for their conduct. One of the recommendations is ; to observe the
international standards and national laws on consumer protection and environmental
protection

NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE ASPECTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION.

Negative
*Taxes
*Rising acts of goods e.g. petrol, paraffin..
*Restriction of freedom.
*areas not allowed to be developed.
*restrictions of using resources e.g. ivory.

Positive
*health of humankind
*clean, healthy environment
*sustainable development
*preservation of species that may lead to new medical treatment
*protection of biodiversity i.e. maintaining a wide variety of plants and animals species

WAYS OF PROMOTING ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION

- .government should set aside land for game parts and nature reserves.
.- environmental education should be taught in schools.
.- companies should package their products in environmental friendly containers.
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.- people should be made for those who mismanage the environment.
.- vision 2016 building a prosperous, productive and use water wisely preserve natural
resources for - - the future generation.

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