Relationship Facts and Stats

Relationships are enjoyable and sometimes incredibly complicated. Because of this, people from around the world have dedicated their time to study relationships and have come up with incredible statistics based on them.

Many of these facts are useful and if you are ever put into a situation where you are involved in domestic violence, for example, you can turn to the law to assist you.

The Weekender compiled various stats from sources all over the world to give you an idea of what is happening in relationships today.

The Namibia Demographic and Health Survey 2006 to 2007, which is based on a national sample, found that about 15% of women and 13% of men between the ages of 15 and 49 were ‘living together’ with a partner without being formally married. Facts have stated that Namibia has quite a low rate of marriage, while a large number of children are born outside marriage.

According to the National Gender Policy (2010 to 2020) from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, GBV “refers to all forms of violence that happen to women, girls, men and boys because of the unequal power relations between them”.

With this definition it follows that there is a wide range of violence that qualifies as GBV.

The Married Persons Equality Act, passed in 1996, was instrumental in abolishing the unconstitutional marital powers of the husband and placing husbands and wives in Namibia on equal footing.

Men and women who are married in civil marriages in community of property must now consult each other on all important financial transactions, as equal partners.

Forms of GBV include (but are not exclusive to): Domestic violence, rape, sexual abuse and violence, sexual harassment, some forms of trafficking, forced prostitution, early and forced marriages, intimidation, verbal abuse, economic violence, physical violence and psychological violence.

Domestic violence is violence towards a family member or someone who is in a relationship with the abuser. It is most commonly physical abuse, but may also include sexual abuse, emotional and verbal abuse, economic abuse, threatening and intimidation, harassment and trespassing.

An application for a protection order has four steps:

1. Go to the magistrate’s court and fill out an application. The clerk can help you do this. Be sure to bring any witnesses and proof you may have. You do not need a lawyer.

2. The magistrate will look at your application and if there is enough proof, you will be given a temporary protection order.

3. If the abuser disagrees with the temporary protection order, an informal and private hearing will be held with the magistrate. The magistrate will decide whether or not to make the protection order final. If the abuser accepts the temporary protection order, it will become final and there will not be a hearing.

4. The final protection order will be sent to the local police station. It is a crime to violate a protection order.

Combating of Domestic Violence Act No. 4 of 2003

This legislation covers things such as physical abuse, sexual abuse, economic abuse, intimidation, harassment and trespassing; additionally, emotional, verbal, or psychological abuse; and the psychological abuse of a child.

Its coverage includes those in marriage, living together as husband and wife, having a child or children together, parents and their children, family members, and boyfriends and their girlfriends.

This law gives the victims of domestic violence avenues for protection, laying charges and for privacy. In theory, this law allows women to freely enjoy their human rights.

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