Violence erodes women’s education gains

ONLY a handful of people attended yesterday’s International Women’s Day commemorations at the Sam Nujoma Stadium in Katutura.

Rosalia Nghidinwa, Minister of Home Affairs and Immigration and acting Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, said that Namibia had made great strides in the area of gender power and decision-making. Statistics show that women’s representation has increased from 22 per cent in 2001 to 27 per cent in 2005, she said.The percentage of women in decision-making positions in the public service also increased from 24 per cent in 2001 to 33 per cent in 2005.Women’s enrolment at tertiary education institutions has also increased.However, she said that women and girls are under siege in their homes, at school, at work, on the streets and that incidents of sexual assault, abuse, murder, domestic violence and harassment have more than doubled over the past years.”Not even infants and pensioners are safe,” she added.Forty-four per cent of men surveyed in 2000 maintained that wife beating is justified, while in the Caprivi Region a staggering 91 per cent thought that beating their wives is justified, the Minister said.A sample survey also indicated that 73 per cent of gender-based violence is perpetrated by someone known to the victim.Although legislation exists to protect women and girls from such violence, it is a taboo subject in most communities and hence difficult to quantify.Nghidinwa said while Namibia’s Combating of Domestic Violence Act, Combating of Rape Act and Child Status Act have been praised internationally for being progressive in protecting women’s and children’s rights, awareness of these crimes should be extended to rural and urban areas.There is also a great need to empower women economically in order to reduce their dependency on men, she said.Statistics show that women’s representation has increased from 22 per cent in 2001 to 27 per cent in 2005, she said.The percentage of women in decision-making positions in the public service also increased from 24 per cent in 2001 to 33 per cent in 2005.Women’s enrolment at tertiary education institutions has also increased.However, she said that women and girls are under siege in their homes, at school, at work, on the streets and that incidents of sexual assault, abuse, murder, domestic violence and harassment have more than doubled over the past years.”Not even infants and pensioners are safe,” she added.Forty-four per cent of men surveyed in 2000 maintained that wife beating is justified, while in the Caprivi Region a staggering 91 per cent thought that beating their wives is justified, the Minister said.A sample survey also indicated that 73 per cent of gender-based violence is perpetrated by someone known to the victim.Although legislation exists to protect women and girls from such violence, it is a taboo subject in most communities and hence difficult to quantify.Nghidinwa said while Namibia’s Combating of Domestic Violence Act, Combating of Rape Act and Child Status Act have been praised internationally for being progressive in protecting women’s and children’s rights, awareness of these crimes should be extended to rural and urban areas.There is also a great need to empower women economically in order to reduce their dependency on men, she said.