Africa-Press – Namibia. President Hage Geingob has urged men to stop abusing women and girls and to focus on creating a safer space in which females can flourish and reach their full potential.
Geingob said this on Tuesday as women across the globe marked International Women’s Day under the theme ‘Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow’.
The president also implored lawmakers to ensure the speedy finalisation of proposed amendments to the Combating of Domestic Violence Act. He said these changes to the law should help reduce cases of gender-based violence (GBV) in the country.
“Namibia continues to report cases of gender-based violence,” Geingob said. “The persisting GBV in the country compromises efforts made by the government over the years to reduce gender inequality.”
He went on to say that after three decades of independence, Namibia prides itself in progress made in increasing women’s representation in parliament, from seven percent in 1990 to 46% in the current parliament.
“We will continue to intentionally promote young women and girls in order to give them a voice in different arenas of our governance architecture,” he said.
“I have no doubt that if we redouble our efforts to collectively fight against all forms of bias, which undermine the progress of women, our communities will be safer and socio-economic achievement can be achieved much faster. As we break down the bias and march forward on this indispensable journey of women’s empowerment, I wish you a happy International Women’s Day,” Geingob stated.
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