Unity urged as women aim for greater representation in NA

SEVERAL politicians have called for a united effort to ensure an increased number of women in the National Assembly (NA) after elections in November.

Women politicians expressed this view during the Khomas Regional Elected Women’s Forum Workshop in Windhoek on Friday. Chairperson of the Forum, Teopolina Ndeapo Mushelenga, said this aim could only be achieved if they overlooked differences such as political party affiliation.”When dealing with issues of national concern, barriers such as religion and culture should not discourage women from fully participating in decision-making,” she added.Mushelenga said it was imperative that women organised support for women to be put up as candidates and “to get elected”.Deputy Windhoek Mayor Elaine Trepper said the workshop could not come at a more opportune time as National Assembly and Regional Council elections were looming.She also called for renewed efforts to lobby for a higher women representation in decision-making structures.Minister of Women Affairs and Child Welfare Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said that women parliamentarians would try to ensure that their parties included as many women as possible on their candidates’ lists.She said it was their national and international obligation to elect a sizeable number of women in this year’s elections as SADC governments had committed themselves to achieving a target of 30 per cent women’s representation in their parliaments by 2005.President Sam Nujoma signed the SADC Declaration of 1997 in Blantyre, Malawi, calling for this target amongst others.Nandi-Ndaitwah told participants that she had sent letters to all registered political parties reminding them of the declaration.”I asked them to make sure we have reached the legal and above,” she said.However, she noted, it was not only the number of women that mattered, but the quality.The Minister urged the women who made it onto their partys list to be exemplary in every respect, including education, morality and commitment to the community.”African women, especially rural women, are still dispossessed, marginalised, abused, poor and vulnerable.We must be their voice, their advocates, their supporters and protectors,” she said.At present, female representation in the NA stands at 26,4 per cent and at local authority level, 45 per cent.The workshop was attended by eight Swapo representatives and one DTA councillor, invited guests and speakers.It was organised by a German non-governmental organisation, the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.Chairperson of the Forum, Teopolina Ndeapo Mushelenga, said this aim could only be achieved if they overlooked differences such as political party affiliation.”When dealing with issues of national concern, barriers such as religion and culture should not discourage women from fully participating in decision-making,” she added.Mushelenga said it was imperative that women organised support for women to be put up as candidates and “to get elected”.Deputy Windhoek Mayor Elaine Trepper said the workshop could not come at a more opportune time as National Assembly and Regional Council elections were looming.She also called for renewed efforts to lobby for a higher women representation in decision-making structures.Minister of Women Affairs and Child Welfare Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said that women parliamentarians would try to ensure that their parties included as many women as possible on their candidates’ lists.She said it was their national and international obligation to elect a sizeable number of women in this year’s elections as SADC governments had committed themselves to achieving a target of 30 per cent women’s representation in their parliaments by 2005.President Sam Nujoma signed the SADC Declaration of 1997 in Blantyre, Malawi, calling for this target amongst others.Nandi-Ndaitwah told participants that she had sent letters to all registered political parties reminding them of the declaration.”I asked them to make sure we have reached the legal and above,” she said.However, she noted, it was not only the number of women that mattered, but the quality.The Minister urged the women who made it onto their partys list to be exemplary in every respect, including education, morality and commitment to the community.”African women, especially rural women, are still dispossessed, marginalised, abused, poor and vulnerable.We must be their voice, their advocates, their supporters and protectors,” she said.At present, female representation in the NA stands at 26,4 per cent and at local authority level, 45 per cent.The workshop was attended by eight Swapo representatives and one DTA councillor, invited guests and speakers.It was organised by a German non-governmental organisation, the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.