The article is based on in-depth interviews conducted in Botswana in 1998 with 19 divorced women who had experienced abuse when they were married. Most women in the study stayed in abusive marriages for many years. Major factors that constrained them from leaving included: fear of economic hardship, inadequate services, and socialization and cultural factors. In order for Botswana society to address the problem of women's low status, laws that discriminate against women should be abolished and replaced by gender-neutral ones, the way females are socialized must be changed, and more emphasis should be placed on women's education. The government of Botswana is attempting to address the problem of woman abuse. In 1997, it established a commission of inquiry to develop ways of better helping battered women and to look into abuse cases that women presented to the police in recent years. In addition, a 1997 initiative established a consultancy to review all laws affecting the status of women. Notes, references