SWAKOPMUND - Namibia cannot continue to speak about gender equality and equal representation of men and women in politics and decision-making when its female folk are confined to the margins of such discussions.

This is according to the Arandis Constituency Councillor, Benitha Imbamba who was speaking at the three-day capacity building training enhancing gender equality and women empowerment in Namibia, and regional council’s workshop that concluded over the weekend in Swakopmund.

Imbamba said despite Namibia having a population of approximately 2.2 million people of which 51.4 percent are women, it is hard to comprehend that some regions do not even have female councillors.

“Are we saying that women did not stand during the time of elections? Time has come that we no longer afford that only men can speak about issues affecting women and children in particular as women are in better position to raise various needs and issues affecting women and children in our regions,” she said.

She urged male councillors and the government to create a platform for collective reflection and consensus building by political party representatives and to foster the compliance with the national constitutional, regional and international commitments in the attainment of gender equality. 

The objectives of the workshop was to analyse how intra-party democracy processes are gendered to promote women participation and representation in local councils as well as to identify how intra-party regulatory frameworks impede on women representation and participation in decision making organs of political parties at regional level.

The attendees also studied regional and international experiences to enhance women’s active political participation and representation at local council level while looking at inform strategies for intra-party regulatory reforms to promote women representation at local council level.