By Petronella Sibeene
WINDHOEK
Both the Speaker of the National Assembly Theo-Ben Gurirab and Prime Minister Nahas Angula have expressed the need for a way that will encourage women to break through the “glass ceiling”.
Women in most African countries, Namibia included, continue to face impediments regarding their participation in decision-making at different levels of society.
Gurirab yesterday said although women have for long been sidelined in terms of decision-making, harnessing their wisdom and expertise in various fields would be of immense value.
“Women constitute more than half of the world’s population, therefore their participation in elected offices at highest levels is fundamental for inclusive and effective functioning of democracy,” he said.
Because of that, Gurirab said, women needed empowerment and unhindered access to capital and knowledge to play a leadership role effectively.
“Mothers know best, we all ought to know that. The fact remains that women’s participation needs to be increased whether in public life, economic activities or other productive fields,” he said.
He added that development programmes should be gender sensitive and should deal with the acute challenges and concerns of women in different sectors of society.
Prime Minister Angula also confirmed that more than 20 years since the signing of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, women’s participation especially in the political arena has been low.
“The challenge that we all have is to increase women’s participation in politics,” he said.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) encourages countries to have 50 percent representation of women while the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) requires member states to have 30 percent women representation.
However, Namibia records 26.9 percent women’s participation in the political arena.
In 2005, SADC Heads of State agreed to increase the target for women at all levels of decision-making from 30 percent to 50 percent. Namibia reached the 30 percent women representation at the local government level with 42 percent representation by 2005. However, the country recorded 27 percent women representation at National Assembly and 11 percent at Regional Council level.
“This clearly demonstrates the size and scope of the work which needs to be done in this area,” said Angula.
The Premier says women’s participation is impeded by different factors, amongst them male dominance in the political arena, and the fact that political life is organised around male norms and values.
While Namibia has a female deputy prime minister, deputy speaker, and some ministers and deputy ministers, Angula feels more still needs to be done.
Angula and Gurirab were speaking during the “First Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Conference for the Africa Region” underway in the capital.
Attended by close to a hundred women parliamentarians, the conference held under the theme “Beyond Numbers” will discuss issues pertaining to women’s participation in economic activities, and other productive fields.
It will focus on the Millennium Development Goals that deal with the provision for Universal primary Education.
The Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians provide the opportunity for women to meet and share experiences, discuss problems and seek solutions to the challenges affecting women in parliament.
The conference started on Wednesday and ends today.