BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
The Ministry of Women Youth, Children and Family Affairs have for the first time received a budget of nearly SBD$20 million.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs (MWYCFA) Dr. Cedric Alependava revealed this during the Ministry’s appearance before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), on Thursday November 20,, 2025.
Dr Alependava told PAC during the 2026 Appropriation Bill 2025 that with the recurrent budget of 14,709,492 and development budget of 4,725,000 it gives a total of 19,434,492.
He said that the increase is due to the fact that his team had made several Cabinet papers.
“First one is we did Cabinet paper for Family Affairs Division, particularly asking our government to provide funding purposely to do awareness and educational program throughout the country to reduce violence against women and girls, and simultaneously violence against children and all forms of abuses,” he said.
He said that the Ministry were happy to be given one million instead of three million they have asked for.
He stressed that this would help the Ministry to collaborate with churches to be able to try and reduce the high incidence of violence against women and girls and children in the country.
He also told PAC that the Ministry is currently conducting a study survey supported by DFAT, and the Ministry of National Statistics Division to able to track the investments and whether they’re having a direct impact in the reduction in violence, gender-based violence or domestic violence.
“We are now doing a study survey. This will be supported by DFAT, and my ministry, including the Ministry of National Statistics Division. We are doing our research to find out the current status of violence against women and girls. The previous study was done in the year 2009, health and family survey. That was the old figure we are using up until now,” Dr Alependava said.
He said that similar survey has also done with children division through Government support together with UNICEF.
With the current budget, Dr Alependava said his Ministry is hopeful to follow up and complete unfinished projects in the country.
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