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Namibia Aims For 50/50 Gender Balance Before 2030

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Friday, December 2nd, 2016
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NAMIBIA aims to implement the 50/50 policy in line with the Southern African Development Community Protocol on Gender and Development before the set deadline lapses in 2030.

women in humanitarian crisis

The SADC Gender Protocol (SGP), which is a legally binding document and expects all states to domesticate, was signed and ratified by Namibia in 2015.

At the Gender Links SADC Protocol Summit for 2016 which took place yesterday in Windhoek, minister of gender equality and child welfare Doreen Sioka said in a speech read on her behalf that gender inequality in the national assembly currently stands at 46/50, which means Namibia is on the right path to achieve 50/50 by 2030.

However, Sioka said, the fight against gender-based violence is far from being over, and everyone is thus expected to contribute towards its elimination.

She added that efforts must be pooled for the smooth implementation of the SGP as it is also aligned with the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs).

“The goal of equal representation must be sustained until 2030 and beyond. We need to fast-track our actions and mobilise women, as well as provide training for women to stand for their human rights,” Sioka noted.

She said there is a need to ensure that support structures are made available for women who are already in politics and decision-making positions to facilitate their contribution towards the country’s developmental agenda.

Gender Links country manager Sarry Xoagus-Eises said before the 50/50 requirement in 2012, they had to look into the different laws of all 36 local authorities, and all of them were gender-blind.

She added that the situation has, however, improved as the different local authorities are now more open to having gender-related issues on the agenda.

“In the previous council meetings, the gender issue was never on the agenda, and women did not even speak up in those meetings. We have done action plans in SADC, and 15 countries participated in these summits,” Xoagus-Eises said.

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