Gender
Inequality Deeply Ingrained in Namibian Society
This
week I found an article on the recent push for gender equality at the
government level in Namibia, a country northwest of South Africa on
Africa's west coast. According to Rosalia Nghidinwa, the Minister of
Gender Equality and Child Welfare, traditional gender inequality
still exists widely in Namibian society, especially on the
governmental level. There was a recent summit of South African
nations (SADC Gender Protocol Summit and Awards) that had set a goal
of having a fifty-fifty percentage of men and women in government
positions by 2015. the SADC protocol on Gender and Development, which
proposed 50/50 gender equality was signed by Namibia and 12 other
countries in August of 2008. Currently though, the representation is
only around 25% of women. The
ambassador of Spain to Namibia, Carmen Diez, also spoke at the
conference. She said, “despite signs of progress in international
policy towards addressing gender inequality, this progress should be
converted into concrete changes at local level.” This is the idea
that significant change needs to start from the ground-up, rather
than from the top-down. Changing attitudes of men on the local level
is the goal in order to empower women. The male dominated leadership
has not readily address issues of gender equality, making it
difficult for changes to occur. Promoting an atmosphere of gender
inclusiveness was a topic included in a speech that Namibian
President
Hifikepunye Pohamba's gave for the State
of the Nation this past Wednesday. He pointed out that part of the
problem was the wide spread use of alcohol and drugs, which helped
contribute to abuse of women and children in Namibia. He went further
to say that this issue needed to be addressed with a sense of
urgency. While there is a push towards equality here, there is still
much work to be done.
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