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Friday, February 25, 2005 - Web posted at 9:41:58 GMT CoD MP urges 'concrete action' on violence LINDSAY DENTLINGERTHE Congress of Democrats has roped lawmakers into discussing the upsurge of violent crime, especially against women and children - calling for concrete action from elected leaders to stem such acts. |
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"Our country has now witnessed many demonstrations by everybody angered by this gulf of violence enveloping our country. But what our country needs is action," outgoing CoD MP Rosa Namises said in the National Assembly on Tuesday. Namises attributed the situation largely to inequities in Namibian society. She bemoaned a situation in which she said women were not viewed as equal partners in the development of the country. Instead, Namises said, an "undeclared war" against women was being waged. While female MPs appeared to be all ears, Namises did not garner similar support from all her male counterparts. Several chose to chat among themselves for most of her speech, and some suggested that the debate be adjourned until April (when the new parliament will sit). But Namises remained undeterred. She said it had been a traumatic start to the year, with Namibian women having to fear violence from respected quarters of society. She referred to the charges against Judge Pio Teek in connection with the alleged sexual assault on two young girls, a pastor at Walvis Bay accused of rape, the sexual assault and murder of two girls at Swakopmund and Windhoek, and the alleged assault on two women by the Mayor of Walvis Bay. "Women and children are not being attacked and violated by some foreign army, expelling them from their homes and burning them to death, but by the very men that they love and live with, their friends, fathers, stepfathers, boyfriends, uncles, brothers and neighbours," she said. Attorney General Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana interjected, saying she did not agree with Namises making "generalisations" about the categories of men who were attacking women. However, Speaker Mosé Tjitendero overruled her objection. He said Namises was referring to specific incidents of which the information was already in the public domain. Namises contended that despite the widespread media coverage of the public outcry against violence against women and children, the belief existed that it did not deserve the same attention as other crimes of grievous bodily harm. "Violence against women is deliberately trivialised because society, especially men, fear giving women the power and control they should have by right over themselves," she maintained. Namises said there was a need to dispel the myth that violence against women was a "private" rather than a "public" issue. "When violence occurs against men in prisons or for political reasons, it is considered public. Public institutions are called upon to fight the injustices for the dignity, security of person, which is perceived as a just cause for the men," she said. Namises said the call for discussions on the death penalty was not the answer to stopping such acts. She also did not attach much value to calls for the restoration of traditional norms and values, saying in many instances these were also oppressive of women and children. Instead she advised that Government consider what it had done to date to combat violence, such as laws against domestic violence and rape, and look for ways to improve upon these. She cited possible problems in the system that required Government attention, such as law enforcement agents not enforcing these laws effectively and the Ministry of Women Affairs failing to take its programme on violence against women and children to the grassroots. "To what degree do we tolerate threats of violence and practice of physical abuse against women and children? In what ways are we hypocritical when we accept that men have urges that are difficult to control? And in what ways do other men, women, the system, and the authorities protect such men?" she asked. Namises was of the opinion that communities needed to transform their rage and disappointment into making a difference, and to foster a culture of peace. She moved that Government carry out more research to understand how violence becomes an integral part of manhood in many boys and men. Namises said Government leaders needed to be "more serious" in transforming the oppressive gender regime. Namises said while the responsibility for eradicating violence against women and children lay with society, it was Government's duty to develop the social movements and infrastructure to address the problems. |
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