Rudolf Gaiseb
Monica Amunyela
The Ethical Use of Social Media Seminar for Young Women in Politics has empowered women to be resilient in the age of cyberbullying.
Through its theme, ‘Resilient Voices: Women Leading Safely in the Digital Age’, the seminar provided a platform to address online bullying, sexual exploitation, harassment, and abuse, and numerous other online ill-treatments targeting young women in politics.
The event was held on Friday in Windhoek by the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, in partnership with Club de Madrid and Junior Chamber International Namibia (JCI).
Information and communication technology (ICT) minister Emma Theofelus said women in politics face unfair online criticism compared to their male counterparts.
She explained that his lack of digital ethics leads to women’s reputational harm, invasion of privacy, and psychological distress, which in turn keeps them in fear and silences their voices, diminishing their participation in politics or the manifestation of their full potential.
However, Theofelus encouraged young women to build resilience against online aggressors and discouraged them from attacking one another.
She urged women to stand in solidarity with one another and to foster a healthy online community.
“When women stand together across generations, across parties, across platforms, we send a powerful message that we will not be bullied into silence,” she noted.
Meanwhile, the seminar brought together women from diverse political backgrounds and generations to exchange experiences.
The youngest parliament member, Fenny Tutjavi, also noted that young women like herself are undermined due to their age. The vibrant youth advocate and student leader said her titles were washed away by onlookers when she stepped into the political chambers, despite sitting and contributing at tables of the nation’s development.
“But when we are given the chance at leadership, they say, ‘Uh uh, she is not capable; she’s just a baby,” she said.
Her main concerns were also parody and fake investment schemes online under her name.
Speaking from the sidelines, Landless People’s Movement youth leader Duminga Ndala stated that cyberbullying is one of the contributing factors to the high suicide rate in our country.
“These behaviours need to be rejected, and we need a legal framework to guide us, protect victims, and hold perpetrators accountable. We need to find means and ways to regulate it so that it protects women, children, and men in our society,” Ndala noted.
Neighbourly support
Meanwhile, Zimbabwean politician Joanah Mamombe and Kenyan policy expert Yvonne Wamucii emphasised that threats to young women politicians online threaten democracy, reflecting broader issues of peace, stability, and freedom.
They highlighted the importance of tackling cyberbullying collaboratively and urged young women to share content responsibly.
16 days of GBV activism
To mark the 2025 launch of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF), the One Economy Foundation hosted a youth event at #BeFree Youth Campus in Windhoek.
It focused on GBVF and violence against children, aligning with the theme, UNITE to End Digital Violence. The event aimed to provide platforms for young people to discuss online and offline violence.
Various organisations, including the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, GIZ, Namibian Police units, the German Embassy, Nanso, UNICEF, and many others, have joined forces to turn this mission into reality.
Veronica Theron, the director of health and wellness at the foundation, emphasised the urgency of this year’s work.
“We decided to customise our local theme to ‘UNITE to end digital violence’ because we want to speak to not only women and girls, but the Namibian nation as a whole,” she said.
Theron highlighted alarming national statistics, which date back from April 2024 to February 2025, where 4 400 GBV cases were reported, including 1 345 rape cases. She added that in 2024, Namibia recorded over 542 suicides and 102 900 mental health cases.
She cited the 2022 Disrupting Harm Study, noting 9% of Namibian children online faced sexual exploitation, impacting about 20 000 children in a year.
Representatives from the police gave a cyber safety presentation, with Senior Inspector Gabriel Paxula urging youth to “protect your personal information and block suspicious contacts or behaviour.”
He also emphasised the various cyberbullying and grooming methods used not only on young people but also on adults.
The programme featured an interactive theatre production, “Digital Danger” by Pegasus Entertainment, which unpacked grooming, cyberbullying, and revenge porn.
Closing the event, Louise Uiras reminded participants that “Activism against GBV must be observed every single day because violence is not seasonal.”
-mamunyela@nepc.com.na