Empowerment summit attracts few women

A two-day conference called to encourage the participation of women in trade union-related issues failed to attract enough participants.

The conference held at the head office of the Namibia Transport and Allied Workers Union (Natau) in Katutura, under the theme ‘Getting women into unions and getting them active’, only attracted 10 participants. Women’s Action For Development (WAD) Director, Veronica De Klerk, in her opening remarks said Namibian women were deprived of their rights, their voice, their human dignity due to cultural practices that impede their growth.Dawid Tjombe, acting President of Natau said there was a need to recognise the global trend towards gender parity in all spheres of life, a trend that is even more significant in the parliamentary democracies.”Parliaments reflect social attitudes and co-ordination and trade unions must organise the female workers under their umbrellas.The women must be trained continuously in the dynamics of trade unions, parliamentary politics and the functioning of government, regionally.The need for such training can no longer be under-estimated,” said Tjombe.De Klerk noted the need for training and development to help women get top jobs in the transport sector.”It serves no purpose to appoint a woman to a position for which she received no training,” she said.Women’s Action For Development (WAD) Director, Veronica De Klerk, in her opening remarks said Namibian women were deprived of their rights, their voice, their human dignity due to cultural practices that impede their growth.Dawid Tjombe, acting President of Natau said there was a need to recognise the global trend towards gender parity in all spheres of life, a trend that is even more significant in the parliamentary democracies.”Parliaments reflect social attitudes and co-ordination and trade unions must organise the female workers under their umbrellas.The women must be trained continuously in the dynamics of trade unions, parliamentary politics and the functioning of government, regionally.The need for such training can no longer be under-estimated,” said Tjombe.De Klerk noted the need for training and development to help women get top jobs in the transport sector.”It serves no purpose to appoint a woman to a position for which she received no training,” she said.