By Petronella Sibeene
WINDHOEK
United Nations agencies and local businesses yesterday donated over N$500 000 to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare in support of the first ever Gender-Based Violence conference scheduled to start next week Tuesday.
The ministry received N$567 844 from the UN agencies, N$64 000 from USAID, N$60 000 from Standard Bank while Old Mutual supplied stationery (350 each of pens, folders, and notepads) and Minolta donated a copier and a printer. Mobile Telecommunication Company (MTC) pledged airtime valued at N$5000.
Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare Marlene Mungunda expressed gratitude towards the generous support from these organisations.
She said gender-based violence remains a great challenge that the country faces.
“The incidences show that the land (Namibia) needs healing and government cannot do it on its own,” stressed the Gender Equality and Child Welfare Minister.
Already, statistics are shocking and more Namibians suffer in silence.
According to Mungunda, one in every three women in Namibia has experienced gender-based violence.
Gender-based violence is mainly directed towards women because of the unequal power relations with men. Women’s low status in society has similarly contributed to the status quo.
Until recently, gender-based violence was viewed as a private or family affair.
The problem, Mungunda said, is complex and therefore calls for a multi-approach at all levels in society.
“Let us go out, bring everybody on board and fight this problem because without peace, investment and economic development will not take place,” added the minister.
The conference, to be attended by 350 delegates, is expected to be officially opened by President Hifikepunye Pohamba on Tuesday while Prime Minister Nahas Angula would close the conference on Friday.
Delegates will represent the government, civil society, churches, academics and traditional leaders from all the 13 regions of the country.
To be held under the theme “Unifying Action to Eliminating Gender-Based Violence in Our Society”, the conference will apart from hearing testimonies from those directly involved will further cover a wide spectrum of issues such as the causes and effects of gender-based violence, understanding how it affects the children, youth, elderly and people living with disabilities.
In addition, the conference will touch on issues related to masculinity, femininity and gender-based violence, policy-based approaches and interventions to fight gender-based violence, promoting and implementing gender-based programmes, roles of policymakers and communication constraints and opportunities, among others.
The relation between HIV/AIDS and gender-based violence, culture, religion and the media will also receive attention during the gathering.
The Legal Assistance Centre will equally present a study analysis on the implementation of the Rape Act.
Representatives from the Commonwealth as well as Southern African Development Community (SADC) will present their regional perspectives on gender-based violence related matters.
The highlight of the conference will be the launch of the “I” story. Already, male perpetrators have been identified while women who were abused will also tell their stories.
The causes of violence against women and children in the country include social, cultural and economic factors that place women at risk of violence within the home.
“We are positive, we are going to defeat this problem,” Mungunda said.