Source: Namibian
 THE deputy secretary-general of Swapo, Laura McLeod-Katjirua, has urged all members of the party's women council to unite against social challenges in the society. McLeod-Katjirua was addressing a central committee meeting of the Swapo Party Women's Council at Oshakati on Saturday.

She said all women in Swapo need to revitalise their political will, unite and stand up against passion killings, women and child abuse, baby dumping, child labour, malnutrition, rape, displaced orphans and vulnerable children, the plight of destitute and elderly citizens, the plight of persons living with HIV and AIDS, alcohol and drug abuse among teenagers as well as human trafficking.

"Maybe all eyes are on us to change the status quo. Let us, from now on, be serious about issues affecting our society and tackle them seriously," she said.

She called on men to respect women.

"Is love now by force? If a woman says 'no', she means it. I think we as women must punish men and abstain for three months or more. Men, be careful as women can decide to sleep on their stomachs. We have cried for too long now, demonstrated and pleaded for too long, but nothing happened. Maybe now we have to demonstrate and sleep on our stomachs for men to see that we are fed up of this continuation of gender-based violence and passion killings every day," McLeod-Katjirua said.

McLeod-Katjirua blamed some women in Swapo for not taking the burning issues in society seriously.

Instead of doing that, she said some women organise themselves into groups to fight each other.

She said the current trend within SPWC was questionable as it pays lip service to the plight of women.

"We must say whether we want to do things ourselves or whether we are expecting changes to come from heaven like manna. Remember the best answer may be with us the women. Let us re-examine ourselves as women," she said.

• Namibia