Source: New Era

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare has facilitated the transfer of N$1 million to the country's 13 regional councils, earmarked for the funding of various income-generating projects aimed at alleviating poverty.

The Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, Rosalia Nghidinwa, who motivated the ministry's budget in the National Assembly on Wednesday said out of the 88 income-generating projects sponsored by the regional councils in the respective regions, 70 are owned by women.

Nghidinwa said the move is in line with the National Gender Policy that intends to create a society in which women and men enjoy equal rights and equal access to basic services, as well as opportunities to participate in and contribute towards political, social, economic and cultural development.

She further said this year the ministry is ready to operationalise community empowerment centres in all of the country's regions. This initiative is intended to promote women and men's economic empowerment and the centres would be used to train women and men on income-generating activities with special emphasis on women.

"To this effect, the construction of community empowerment centres has been completed at Aminuis in Omaheke and Outapi in Omusati region," she said. She added that other community empowerment centres have already been completed at Katima Mulilo, Rundu, Okongo, Ongwediva, Kalkrand, Opuwo, Tsintsabis, Tsumkwe and Gobabis.

The current N$531,3 million budget allocated to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare will cater for the building of more community empowerment centres.

• Namibia