Sister Namibia rejects political label

THE women’s non-governmental organisation Sister Namibia has slammed claims by the Swapo Women’s Council that it is abusing its mandate by electioneering at its gatherings.

In a statement issued by the organisation last week, its Director Liz Frank vehemently denied that it uses its workshops as platforms to campaign for political parties. She invited complainants to contact Sister Namibia’s office to prove the allegations.At a press briefing 10 days ago, Swapo women’s league Secretary Eunice Iipinge accused the organisation of operating under false pretences.She alleged that the NGO appeared to be acting as if it were the women’s wing of the Congress of Democrats (CoD) at workshops it held at Rietoog and Nabasib on domestic violence, rape, child maintenance and HIV-AIDS.Iipinge claimed that women who attended the gatherings were discouraged from voting for Swapo.But Frank stressed that Sister Namibia is an autonomous and non-party-political organisation.”Sister Namibia is neither the women’s wing of the Congress of Democrats, nor is it in the process of forming a new political party,” she said.Workshops, she said, were aimed at informing marginalised women about their rights, including that of voting and standing for elections.She added that through the 50/50 campaign of the Namibian Women’s Manifesto Network, both men and women were being encouraged to vote for political parties that put forward gender balanced, “zebra-style” candidate lists, as well as those that included issues of concern to women in their party manifestos.”We believe that elections should be fought around issues of public concern and as women constitute more than half our population as well as the majority of those living in extreme poverty, their concerns should be at the forefront,” reads the statement issued by Sister Namibia.She invited complainants to contact Sister Namibia’s office to prove the allegations.At a press briefing 10 days ago, Swapo women’s league Secretary Eunice Iipinge accused the organisation of operating under false pretences.She alleged that the NGO appeared to be acting as if it were the women’s wing of the Congress of Democrats (CoD) at workshops it held at Rietoog and Nabasib on domestic violence, rape, child maintenance and HIV-AIDS.Iipinge claimed that women who attended the gatherings were discouraged from voting for Swapo.But Frank stressed that Sister Namibia is an autonomous and non-party-political organisation.”Sister Namibia is neither the women’s wing of the Congress of Democrats, nor is it in the process of forming a new political party,” she said.Workshops, she said, were aimed at informing marginalised women about their rights, including that of voting and standing for elections.She added that through the 50/50 campaign of the Namibian Women’s Manifesto Network, both men and women were being encouraged to vote for political parties that put forward gender balanced, “zebra-style” candidate lists, as well as those that included issues of concern to women in their party manifestos.”We believe that elections should be fought around issues of public concern and as women constitute more than half our population as well as the majority of those living in extreme poverty, their concerns should be at the forefront,” reads the statement issued by Sister Namibia.