Rudolf Gaiseb
An affirmative action circular shadowed by the public service has led to the sidelining of top-scoring male candidates in the recruitment process, resulting in psychological distress among young men.
Swapo parliamentarian Willem Amutenya told Parliament on Wednesday that it is contributing to the stagnation in young men’s career progression.
Circular 21 (1) (P), dated 26 November 2001 on the application of the Affirmative Action Act 1998, Act 29 of 1998, was issued by the Public Service Commission as a mechanism to ensure a more balanced structure in the public service, particularly regarding gender representation.
The Circular stipulates that if the highest scorer during the interview for an advertised position is a male. Still, the second or third highest scorer is a female deemed suitable, the nomination of the male candidate must be accompanied by statistics reflecting the gender structure of the relevant division or directorate.
“Where the statistics and the affirmative action plan indicate that there are fewer women in similar positions, the female candidate who is the second or third highest score must be considered for nomination instead of a high-scoring male candidate,” Amutenya highlighted.
Citing the 2023 Namibian population and housing census, he noted that labour force statistics reveal that out of 68 541 employed professionals in Namibia, 40 136 are female and only 28 405 are male.
It is stated that amongst 28 482 clerk-supporting workers, only 9 328 are male.
“These figures reflect a growing imbalance, and there’s a growing concern that the continued application of this circular without appropriate review or coordination might disadvantage a qualified male candidate,” he stated.
Amutenya questioned Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare if the government has an effective monitoring and evaluation tool in place to ensure the fair and balanced implementation of this circular.
“Given the evidence that gender shifts in the labour force, when will this application be reviewed or adjusted to address the growing disadvantage faced by a boy child and ensure fairness in recruitment and promotion processes within the public service?” he added.