Women a valuable national resource

NAMIBIAN women are a key national resource which, if tapped into, could mean a critical step towards true democracy and meaningful development in Namibia.

Rosa Namises of Women’s Solidarity Namibia (WSN) said this to participants at the Forum for the Future yesterday. She added that despite the crucial role Namibian women had played in the struggle for independence, in the past decade there had been a notable decline in the ‘vibrancy of the women’s movement’.She urged the political representatives at the meeting to recognise and acknowledge the important role of women in the social and political landscape of Namibia.She called for a transformation of politics through the inclusion of women.’There is no true democracy if women are not represented,’ she said.Transformation was possible only if men were liberated from ‘their rigid roles, mindsets and patriarchy’, she said, asking all political parties to focus on educating men.’The most powerful sector of Namibian society continues to be relegated to the margins, where they remain voiceless and mere observers,’ Namises said.Real democracy could only be achieved ‘if women as citizens can exercise their equal human rights to participate fully in decision making processes,’ she said.Namises said it was worrying that women and girls remained a vulnerable and marginalised group and were still ‘the poorest of the poor’.A 2009 study by the Labour Resource and Research Institute showed that the bulk of the unemployed in Namibia were women, although they were also the prime caregivers in communities. The study found that 61.4 per cent of women living in informal settlements of Windhoek were unemployed and that women were more likely to be in casual employment, which implies less job security, fewer benefits and lower incomes.According to Namises, women are effective spokespersons and ‘better leaders at local government level, because it deals with grassroots issues’.She added that this did not limit women’s participation as national leaders.Namises underlined the importance of education for all, as it empowers people, especially women, to be able to articulate their needs, and to lobby and advocate on behalf of others.Namises reminded political leaders not to exercise ‘power over’ anyone, but to ‘share their power with’ people. She asked that Namibians remain true to ‘beautiful cultural practices that will enhance our democracy’ and rid themselves of ‘harmful cultural practices’.

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