De Klerk retires at WAD

WOMEN’S Action for Development (WAD) executive director Veronica de Klerk has announced her retirement from the position after 20 years at the helm of the organisation.

De Klerk will hand over the baton to Salatiel Shinedima who hails from the Oshana region and will commence duty from 01 September 2014.

Making her announcement in Windhoek on Friday, De Klerk encouraged government ministries to embrace the exemplary non-governmental organisations, which she says are generally fast-moving and not plagued by bureaucratic delays.

She said this will assist government in implementing programmes to fast-track the reduction of poverty and high unemployment in the country.

“I trust that we will see the day when the services of NGOs will be utilized by ministries to a large extent, on a continuous basis,” De Klerk said.

She said although she still had loads of energy and there are still many ideas competing in her mind to be implemented, she believes that a leader, whatever his or her success, should realize that there is a time to come and a time to go.

“A leader should timeously make room for the younger generation to take over the reins, in order to introduce new approaches and alternative ways of addressing challenges of national importance,” she said.

De Klerk said WAD is introducing a new approach with a bold young man who is prepared to take up the cause of women.

“A man who is proud to run with the national agenda of women and to face the challenges head on, which many men experience, in recognizing women as equal partners in society,” she said.

De Klerk said the numerous challenges currently facing women, such as violence against women, the rape and brutal killing of women; poverty, unemployment; and the inequality of the genders. What Namibia needs right now, “are dynamic and fearless male role models in society, who have the courage of their conviction to address these evils, boldly and without fear.

“I shall always carry WAD in my heart,” she concluded.

Shinedima said if one takes into consideration that the media continuously carry reports of passion killings, rape and gender-based violence, where men are the prime culprits, one can clearly see that some men are evidently unwilling to heed the call by the nation to stop these evil acts.

“We, as a new WAD team, will not be disheartened by such cowardice, but to resolutely work towards its eradication,” he said.

Shinedima said their strategy will be to put effort into the new generation of men to grow up to become real men, who can take disappointments and rejection on the chin, and to bravely walk away from provocation that can lead to gender-based violence.

tuyeimo@namibian.com.na

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