Violence Against Women
SOURCE: New Era
President Hage Geingob has implored Namibian men to stop abusing women and girls.
He said men should rather focus on creating safe spaces for women to flourish, so they may reach their highest potential.
The head of state said the persisting report of cases of gender-based violence in the country is compromising the efforts made by the government over the years to reduce gender inequality.
“I have no doubt that if we redouble our efforts to collectively fight against all forms of bias, which undermine the progress of women, our communities will be safer, and socio-economic can be achieved much faster,” said the Namibian statesman.
Geingob made the remarks in commemoration of International Women’s Day, which was marked yesterday under the theme ‘Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow’.
He said the day is not only important in raising awareness on gender issues, but also a crucial reminder that more still needs to be done to attain full gender inclusion and participation of women in the developmental process.
“Despite challenges women face on a daily basis, they continue to play important roles and are at the forefront of sustainable development, particularly in ensuring food security and adapting to the impacts of climate change,” noted the head of state.
The President said a sustainable and equal future will remain out of reach if we don’t act now by allowing gender inequality to grow.
Thus, continuous concerted efforts should be made to empower women to participate fully in the economic, social, and environmental spheres of society. Geingob indicated that Namibia has made progress by increasing women’s participation in parliament from a mere 7% at independence to 46% today.
“We will continue to intentionally promote young women and girls in order to give them a voice in different arenas of our governance architecture.”