In March 2025, the global community marked 30 years since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

This was a landmark agreement that remains one of the strongest commitments to gender equality and women’s empowerment worldwide. Adopted in 1995, the Declaration outlined a visionary plan for advancing women’s rights in critical areas such as education, health, economic participation, leadership and freedom from violence. 

For Namibia, this milestone carries deep meaning. Our President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah was the chief negotiator for the African Group during preparations for the 4th World Conference on Women in 1995, playing a key role in shaping outcomes that reflect the socio-economic aspirations of African and Namibian women. 

In a full circle and crowning moment, President Nandi-Ndaitwah will, this September 2025, join the international community in commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and 25 years of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda since the adoption of UN Resolution 1325 at the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. 

Three decades after her impactful work as rapporteur general for the World Conference on Women, and a lifetime commitment to public leadership and ongoing advocacy for the economic and political inclusion and empowerment of women and youth, we are witnessing Africa produce its fifth female Head of State, and Namibia its fifth and first female President Nandi-Ndaitwah. 

This milestone makes Namibia one of 12 African countries led by women and one of only two in Africa with a female President. This is a powerful testament to our societal progress and inclusive politics, as well as the broader transformative impacts of Beijing 30+. 

Progress 

Namibia places great importance on upholding human rights and women’s rights, having signed and ratified the African Union Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa. 

The 2023 Namibia Status of Women Report (NSWR), commissioned by the OYAYONE Foundation, highlights that Namibia ranks No. 8 worldwide.It is the top-ranked African country for efforts to close the gender gap, according to the World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report (2023). Namibia has demonstrated strong political will and serves as a model for women’s political inclusion, empowerment and leadership. Women hold 39% of seats in the 8th Parliament.

Moreover, 63% of Cabinet ministers are women. This success is largely due to the ruling Swapo Party’s 50/50 gender representation strategy, which has advanced gender parity and equality. Despite these achievements, Namibia has not yet made comparable progress in women’s economic inclusion and empowerment. This includes equal participation in labour markets, access and control of productive resources, equal pay opportunities with adequate childcare support and increased participation in decision-making at all levels. National statistical data reveal that women are still disproportionately excluded from mainstream economic activities compared to men. 

Namibia’s economic transformation agenda, aimed at rebalancing power relations and promoting broader participation by previously disadvantaged groups, should not be viewed solely through racial lenses. It is urgent to address the underlying gender inequalities that hinder women’s social and economic progress. 

These issues are complex and multifaceted, often worsened by systemic exclusions, such as limited access to resources and outdated policy and legislative frameworks in micro-finance, communal land regimes and customary marriage and divorce laws. While Namibia has made strides toward a non-racial society, we have yet to achieve a non-sexist society. The widespread presence of gender-based violence indicates that gendered social norms, such as sexual harassment both in the workplace and online, persist. 

Lasting change can only happen through intensified efforts toward United Nations Sustainable Development Goal No. 5 for gender equality. 

Namibia’s population has grown from 1.4 million in 1990 to 3 million in 2023. It is projected to reach approximately 3.5 million by 2040. Over half of the population is women, with 71% under 35 years old. Demographically, Namibia is characterised as young, female and primarily rural.

Commitments 

The Beijing 30+ initiative, led by UN Women, emphasises crucial areas such as increased funding and the collection of reliable gender data. Both are vital for Namibia’s progress. Without disaggregated data, gender disparities remain hidden. 

At OYAYONE, we work to connect global commitments with grassroots actions that amplify women’s voices and support tangible, community-driven projects: Sisal Namibia Community Empowerment Initiative, which promotes innovation in rural agriculture through a contract farming model focused on cultivating sisal – a durable, eco-friendly natural fibre. 

By providing female communal farmers with training, market access and tools to expand production, we aim to secure financial stability for women-headed households, create jobs and foster equitable opportunities in rural entrepreneurship, climate resilience and sustainability. 

Through this initiative, rural women are shaping Namibia’s agricultural value chains, building resilience and boosting local economies. Capacity Building for Women to Lead Change, coinciding with the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), offers targeted training for grassroots women to combat GBV, access legal aid, improve financial and digital literacy, mental health, early childhood development and entrepreneurship. 

Supported by UNFPA Namibia and the gender ministry, this programme continues to empower women at the community level.Thirty years after the Beijing Declaration, Namibia has many reasons to celebrate. Women in Namibia have gained socio-political freedoms, but they are still fighting for economic emancipation. 

The next frontier is economic empowerment. 

This is not only a moral and political necessity but also vital for sustainable development because “no country can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contributions of half of its citizens”.

*Daisry Obal is a public policy advisor, founder & director of the OYAYONE Foundation.