Swapo women express shock about graves

THE Central Committee of the Swapo Women’s Council has expressed shock at the recent discovery of mass graves in the Ohangwena Region and has joined the call for those with more information to come forward.

Addressing a press conference in Windhoek on Friday, Women’s Council Secretary Eunice Iipinge said that they fully supported President Hifikepunye Pohamba’s call on those with information to provide details to Government through churches, headmen, local councillors or anybody of authority within their communities. Iipinge said the Central Committee meeting celebrated recent milestone achievements through the appointment of women in key positions in Africa – most notably last week’s victory of the first female President on the continent, Liberia’s Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.Namibia has a female Deputy Prime Minister – Dr Libertina Amathila – South Africa and Zimbabwe have female Vice Presidents, Mozambique has appointed a female Prime Minister and recently the Ovakwanyama people in northern Namibia crowned their first Queen.”Notwithstanding progress achieved in the area of women, in particular in politics and at decision making-levels, much still needs to be done,” Iipinge said.The Central Committee agreed to have a workshop to improve the campaigning skills of women and also called for the amendment of laws for a quota system.At present, only the local authority laws have a quota system.The Swapo women want more women on the lists of parties for regional and national elections.”The Central Committee resolved to develop Swapo Party strategies to enable women’s participation in decision-making levels of the Swapo party structures,” Iipinge said.They also called for the education curriculum to include legal literacy, as more women need to learn how to seek legal assistance on issues such as domestic violence and child maintenance.”The majority of women, especially in rural areas, lack proper legal information and the fact that some laws that were set during the colonial era are still haunting our women makes it difficult for them to seek legal help due to poor knowledge on legal matters,” Iipinge said.The Women’s Council will also conduct a workshop on land distribution and degradation next year.Iipinge said the Central Committee meeting celebrated recent milestone achievements through the appointment of women in key positions in Africa – most notably last week’s victory of the first female President on the continent, Liberia’s Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.Namibia has a female Deputy Prime Minister – Dr Libertina Amathila – South Africa and Zimbabwe have female Vice Presidents, Mozambique has appointed a female Prime Minister and recently the Ovakwanyama people in northern Namibia crowned their first Queen.”Notwithstanding progress achieved in the area of women, in particular in politics and at decision making-levels, much still needs to be done,” Iipinge said.The Central Committee agreed to have a workshop to improve the campaigning skills of women and also called for the amendment of laws for a quota system.At present, only the local authority laws have a quota system.The Swapo women want more women on the lists of parties for regional and national elections.”The Central Committee resolved to develop Swapo Party strategies to enable women’s participation in decision-making levels of the Swapo party structures,” Iipinge said.They also called for the education curriculum to include legal literacy, as more women need to learn how to seek legal assistance on issues such as domestic violence and child maintenance.”The majority of women, especially in rural areas, lack proper legal information and the fact that some laws that were set during the colonial era are still haunting our women makes it difficult for them to seek legal help due to poor knowledge on legal matters,” Iipinge said.The Women’s Council will also conduct a workshop on land distribution and degradation next year.