OPUWO – Deputy Minister of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication, and Social Welfare, Bernadette Jagger, has urged men to become catalysts for change and take action to address GBV in their communities, including speaking out against harmful behaviours and serving as role models.
Jagger delivered this statement on Wednesday during a men’s conference focused on combating gender-based violence (GBV) in Khorixas.
She said gender-based violence and violence against children, elderly individuals and people with disabilities, remain significant concerns in Namibia, especially in the Kunene region.
“According to the Prioritised Plan of Action on Gender-Based Violence, 93% of the perpetrators of GBV are men. This is why conferences of this nature are very important so that men can be encouraged to be agents of change and take action to address GBV in their communities,” she stated.
Jagger pointed out that GBV poses a threat to women’s dignity, health, security, and safety.
“GBV also affects the perpetrators, which is why it needs to be addressed with the involvement of all stakeholders, including men and boys,” she added.
Jagger identified detrimental attitudes, behaviour and norms, such as underage marriages and unequal power dynamics between men and women, as contributing factors to GBV.
“Norms like ‘boys do not cry and should be strong” may contribute to GBV,” the deputy minister said.
Jagger also noted that poverty often forces individuals to depend on an abusive spouse, making it challenging to access proper support services when GBV occurs.
She called on traditional authorities, especially male traditional leaders, to become change agents and role models in the fight against gender-based violence and to promote a culture of peace among men in their communities.
During the same event, Damara King Gaob Justus /Uruhe //Garoeb appealed to men to abandon their abusive tendencies towards their partners and children. He stressed that, for the government to eradicate GBV, men and boys must collaborate to bring about change in a society that condemns all forms of abuse. – Nampa