Sixty-two years ago, it became customary for the Pan-African Women’s Day to be celebrated each year on the 31st of July. 

This day is deliberately set aside for African women on the continent and in the diaspora to celebrate and honour the achievements of African women, and advocate for gender equality in Africa. 

The day was first commemorated on 31 July 1962 in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. Thereafter, the Pan-African Women’s Organisation (PAWO), Africa’s first and oldest collective women’s organisation was formed. PAWO’s initial mission was to contribute to the continent’s liberation from colonialism, rallying to bring an end to apartheid and advocate for the abolishment of all discriminatory practices against African women. 

Various records have it that meekulu Putuse Appolus (born in 1930), a nurse by profession and one of the women who joined Namibia’s liberation struggle in exile around 1960, was one of the founding members of PAWO. 

Also, she represented Swapo in the PAWO secretariat for about 12 years. She died on 28 October 1986, a few years before Namibia became an independent State. As we celebrate African women’s contributions towards political, socio-economic, cultural and religious empowerment, it is at this point that the contributions and aspirations of meekulu Putuse Appolus and other women are celebrated too. 

It is paramount to mention that African women have been active in all spheres of life. As we celebrate this year’s Pan-African Women’s Day, it is necessary to appreciate those Namibian women who participated in resistance activities against the German conquest and all other colonial rule. 

When the armed struggle for the liberation of Namibia began in 1966, women defied initial opposition to join the People’s Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN). 

The winds of change that swept across the continent of Africa resulted in the consultative congress of Southwest Africa People’s Organisation (Swapo), which took place in Tanganyika, Tanzania in December 1969-January 1970, and the Swapo leadership formally inaugurated the women’s wing called the Swapo Women’s Council (SWC). 

During the second congress of SWC in independent Namibia, on 8 to 10 November 1991 at Brakwater Area in Windhoek, Swapo Women’s Council was renamed to become Swapo Party Women’s Council (SPWC). The main purpose of SPWC is indicated that:

“The SPWC was created as women’s platform and a transmission belt of the Swapo Party policy, ideology and programme; with specific mission to mobilise the Namibian women including women in the diaspora for their full and active participation in the political, social, cultural and economic transformation of Namibia.” 

The theme for this year’s Pan-African Women’s Day is, ‘Invest in Education: Securing the Future of Women and Girls in Africa’. It begs for clear understanding of education in its totality, which is the transmission of knowledge, skills, and characters in various forms.

Education is divided into two main groups, namely formal education which normally occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum and non-formal education also that follows a structured approach but occurs outside the formal schooling system. It is here where one needs to be ready for various forms of learning such as open learning, put differently life-long learning. One of PAWO’s aims is to advocate for the abolishment of all discriminatory practices against African women. 

In essence, the two women’s organisations are expected to educate while lobbying and mobilising because to work collectively and harmoniously with others, one needs to know who she/he is dealing with. 

This includes knowing about their origin, reasons participating, the reasons why certain things happened/happen the way they did/do and know the circumstances that influenced the occurrences.

The above activities are to be carried out in the setup of formal and informal education. It is worth mentioning that the unstructured learning through daily experiences has been the most way influential form of teaching and learning. One of the main purposes for the Pan-African Women’s Day is to celebrate those who have gone before us, those who are with us and those who are yet to come, and to make a tangible mark on the lives of African women. 

Namibian women have participated in anticolonial resistance from its very beginning. As part of educating ourselves, with the purpose to draw inspirations, courage and shape the futuristic involvement of women in the developmental agenda, historical information is essential.

Thus, it is worth mentioning doctor Libertine Inaviposa Amathila, a renowned Namibian medical doctor who was the director of Swapo Women’s Council from 1969 until 1975. The history books show that Dr Amathila is the first black Namibian woman to become a medical doctor. 

While in exile, Dr Amathila worked as a doctor, providing health services in Swapo’s camps. In the independent Namibia, Dr Amathila served as the first female Deputy Prime Minister in the year 2005.

It is equally worth noting, her excellency, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, the vice president of Swapo and of the Republic of Namibia. As described in her political profile, a versatile leader, detained, exiled, and exposed to various high level of political positions and responsibilities within Swapo and ministerial positions, over an uninterrupted period of 57 years, she started her political career at the age of 14. Nandi-Ndaitwah’s remarkable work made her a champion for women and children’s rights, peace and security. Her political biography is an educative one. She shared her views about the Liberation Support Movement in the year 1978, saying that: The liberation activity is an important process of learning. It has exposed thousands of Namibian women to many new ideas, which are revolutionising their world outlook. 

In contemporary times, this message still applies. It is now time for economic liberation and emancipation with women expected to be at the forefront and learn how to emancipate themselves, through both formal and informal education. The case of Nandi-Ndaitwah provides many lessons. 

Such a case, as with many others, provide both theory and practical knowledge that is useful towards integration and transformation of women. During the upcoming Presidential and National Assembly elections 2024, Swapo will re-write its history when the party will field a female presidential candidate in the name of Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah for the presidential election slated for 27 November 2024 .

Overall, this day begs for individuals and organisations both public and private to highlight the most practical and effective mechanisms of women empowerment focusing on capacity-=building. 

Skills and understanding are the most important mechanisms to have. Thus, women need to be capacitated to fulfil the political and social roles. With such attributes, they will be able to demand their rightful place. Moreover, we note that women have taken steps towards economic emancipation as they have opened small and medium enterprises and informal trading businesses. However, they are in dire need of adequate and appropriate spaces and support for trading, as these businesses are the backbone of the economy.  

One of the recommendations on women empowerment written in the book titled: ‘Namibia: Perspectives for National Reconstruction and Development’, United Nations Institute for Namibia (UNIN), 1986, states: “Provision should be made to intensify training of women at the non-formal and formal levels. This should include adult literacy and vocational training programmes. The latter would be particularly useful in opening up opportunities for women’s employment in ranching, manufacturing, cottage and handicraft industries and other informal sector activities.”  

Highlight is made to both non-formal and formal education levels an indication that non-discriminatory celebration is a must as this will cause encouragement, harmony and promote skills and talents among women and men too. 

In the same book, the sixth recommendation indicates that: “education should emphasise the importance of women’s role and capabilities in society in general”. 

The end of the chapter dealing with women issues, the same book concludes that: 

“It will be essential to ensure that women are equipped to fill high-level posts and responsibilities, and to encourage them into spheres of expertise such as those of finance, industry, agriculture, health and education.”

Namibia, as a country, supports its inhabitants in the above-mentioned areas through various institutions both public and private, offering support services to both men and women in the form of training and start-up capital. The country has recorded an increase in the number of women who have not only enrolled, but also graduated from institutions of higher learning. Records from the University of Namibia (Unam) show that from the year 1992 to 2022, 21 573 male students graduated there, while 42 507 female students graduated. Part of the celebration is to appreciate the many supports in many forms by various stakeholders in education. 

It is worth to note that currently, the Namibian government has reviewed the national housing policy, and has improved the access to purchasing land for women. The miles we have covered are encouraging, however, they do not exonerate us from the duties that bind us to continue working relentlessly for the entrenchment of gender perspectives in legislation and policy intervention. 

Namibia is a model country for women empowerment, yet we are still faced with prejudice based on gender-based violence that persists in damaging the fabric of our society. 

The Pan-African Women’s Day shall serve as the day that aims to encourage women to continue being key decision- makers in decision-making processes and activities that uplift the whole community. Thus, the focus should now be to strengthen relationships between men and women, and raising strong families’ members based on hardworking and nation-building values. 

*Fransina Ndateelela Kahungu is the Swapo Party Women’s Council secretary in 2022.