TJIPENANDJAMBI KUHANGAPRESIDENT Hage Geingob has urged the nation to work harder to ensure gender equality and mobilise efforts to fight gender-based violence.
In a statement released to commemorate International Women’s Day on Friday, the president said women empowerment is a human right and not a favour.
Geingob said gender policies and plans of actions are fully geared towards the empowerment of women.
He commended the work the country has been doing over the years to achieve gender equality and urged the nation to do more to combat gender-based violence (GBV).
“International Women’s Day invites us to reflect on the journey we have travelled in achieving the goal of gender equality,” Geingob said.
He adds that the day is also a reminder of the efforts made since independence and that the country needs to renew its commitment to gender equality and fight the scourge of GBV.
Geingob said article 10 of the Namibian Constitutions states that everyone is equal before the law and nobody may be discriminated against on grounds of sex, race, colour, ethnic origin, religion, creed or social or economic status.
“As a nation, we have consolidated equality, including that of women in our laws,” he adds.
The president is pleased that women continue to play a leading role in business, sports and politics, as well as in the nation’s executive and legislature.
“All our efforts must continue to be centred on the empowerment and education of the girl-child. Education is the greatest equaliser and is also a powerful weapon in our fight against the undesirable feminisation of poverty,” he said.
Namibia has adopted the national gender policy and two plans of action which are the National Gender Plan of Action and the National Gender-Based Violence Plan of Action.
These actions are aligned to the regional and continental instruments, the South African Development Community protocol on Gender and Development, the Maputo Protocol and the solemn declaration on gender equality in Africa.
In recognition of its progress on gender equality, Geingob said the country currently holds the award by the African Gender Forum for the top performing country in Africa as part of the Gender Is My Agenda Campaign.
