Women in power and privileged positions should ensure that all stumbling blocks such as the bureaucratic delays in the granting of loans to women to start businesses are removed.
This call was made by Namibia’s First Lady Penehupifo Pohamba during the 7th Annual Namibian Women Summit that took place recently in Swakopmund.
According to Madam Pohamba, Namibian women will only prosper if those in power take a firm stand against violence against women and children and be the voice of the less privileged in an effort to empower them.
Madam Pohamba applauded all Namibian women for keeping the flames of business and entrepreneurship burning so that they can overcome the scourges of poverty and underdevelopment, to contribute to Vision 2030. She went on to say that violence against women and children continue to hamper the progress of businesswomen and people in general.
“It is time to fight back and eradicate violence and alcohol abuse. They are the main cause of violence against women in Namibia. Let us reflect and remember those who have fallen victim to gender-based violence and fight this evil starting in our own homes,” she said.
She called on Namibian women to look beyond each other’s potential, and rather collectively combine efforts to make Namibia a better place for future generations.
Also speaking at the summit was the Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, Rosalia Nghidinwa, who asked that the outcome of the summit be shared with other women in order to address all issues hampering the growth of women socially, politically and economically.
She went on to say that women have the ability to make significant contributions to the country’s development if a conducive environment is created for them. “This is a platform for Namibian women to exchange views and opinions and come up with effective strategies to address issues of inequality and economic empowerment that affect all women. Women can achieve what they set their minds to and realize that they are not accessories. As long as we have confidence and trust in ourselves, we shall able to do better than men and can live without having to depend on them,” Nghidinwa said.
The summit brought together close to 200 women from various backgrounds, upcoming entrepreneurs, well-established businesswomen and women in leadership positions to network, share and guide each other in terms of finance independence and business initiatives.