Strategy to combat gender violence in works

‘FORTY-ONE per cent of Namibian men believe that it is okay for a man to beat his spouse, while 32 per cent of Namibian women think that there is no problem with men beating their partners.’

These are just a couple of the mind-boggling statistics that staff of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and partner representatives from 23 African countries will have in mind this week as they develop an action plan to combat violence against women.The workshop, which started in Windhoek yesterday, also aims to strengthen the capacity of organisations working against gender-based violence (GBV), and to share experiences and lessons learnt on the prevention of violence against women in different African countries.Topics to be covered in the five-day workshop include the format and key elements of such a strategy, research and programme monitoring and evaluation, advocacy and communication for attitudinal and behaviour change, formulation and implementation of policy and legislation, medical and health care services, working with men in GBV prevention, and community and resource mobilisation.The UN has defined violence against women as ‘any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.’Opening the workshop, Gender Equality Child Welfare Minister Marlene Mungunda described GBV as ‘one of the most widespread violations of human rights and developmental challenges’, encompassing sexual abuse, assault and harassment, rape, domestic violence, trafficking of women and girls, and severe traditional practices.’Any one of these abuses can leave deep psychological scars, damage the health of women and girls in general, including their reproductive and sexual health, and in some instances, result in death,’ she said.In Namibia alone, the UN reports that 36 per cent of women who have ever been in a relationship report having experienced physical or sexual violence at the hands of an intimate partner at some time, with 31 per cent reporting physical violence, and 17 per cent sexual violence.Namibia has ratified a number of international and regional policies and agreements, but Mungunda expressed concern that law reforms with regards to GBV have not directly translated into attitude change. She said she would be motivating the ratification of the SADC Gender Protocol in Parliament today.Pointing to recommendations made at the 2007 National Conference on GBV, Mungunda reiterated calls for greater government involvement in combating GBV, increasing the number and capacity of social workers, and improving the service conditions of police and medical personnel in dealing with GBV. She also highlighted the need for improving forensic services, empowering traditional authorities to prevent GBV, and providing non-threatening and inclusive training on gender, peace and reconciliation for all stakeholders at community level.WOMEN & ECONOMYRecounting the words of Graca Machel that ‘ordinary people do not live on rhetoric’, UNFPA Namibia Representative Fabian Byomuhangi reminded the delegates to be pragmatists and not theorists in the development of the strategy, encouraging them to keep it ‘simple, realistic and workable’.At the same occasion, Mungunda launched a booklet and DVD titled ‘Responding to Economic Crisis: Investing in Women is a Smart Choice’.The booklet and DVD highlight the important role of women in the economy as ‘economic agents who plough their earnings into raising healthier and better educated children.’In the booklet, UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmend Obaid is quoted as saying: ‘Now more than ever, in these times of global economic crisis, I call on decision-makers to increase resources for reproductive health, including family planning, so we can make greater progress for women and families. There is no smarter investment, with such high economic and social returns, than investing in the health and rights of adolescent girls and women.’nangula@namibian.com.na