By Petronella Sibeene
WINDHOEK
Patriotic fervour soared yesterday in the capital as more than a thousand women dressed in different uniforms and carrying banners displaying messages of solidarity colourfully marched through Independence Avenue to celebrate their achievements.
As early as 07h30 hundreds of women gathered at the Kudu Statue in town, anxious to participate in the country’s first ever “Women Celebratory March.”
The march started in town and ended at the Parliament Gardens.
Organised by the Women’s Action for Development (WAD), the march guided by the Defence Force band saw the participation of women from various sectors of society.
These included Government officials such as the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, Deputy Minister of Education, Becky Ndjoze-Ojo, Governor of the Khomas Region, Sophia Shaningwa, diplomats and their spouses, women from the banking sector, communication field, uniformed forces, education, health, churches and non-governmental organisations.
“Seventeen years after independence, women have successfully penetrated all sectors of the Namibian society. The march projected unity and pride among women,” said WAD Executive Director, Veronica de Klerk.
Leeta Haingura, one of the many women who participated in the march said: “Time has come for society to know that gone are the days when women were regarded as housewives and figures for child bearing. It is time we work together male and female to uplift our lives.”
De Klerk said over many years of prejudice and scepticism about their abilities, women in Namibia have proved that they have intellectual strength and ability to work hard for long hours and discipline to pursue a cause.
With such strength, De Klerk believes women can become an accomplished workforce if they are granted the same opportunities as their male counterparts.
“Women have indisputably proven that their lesser physical abilities should by no means be equated with their intellectual competence,” she added.
Women have been treated unequally over many years. At the work place, there has been unjustified preference for male employees and in instances where females are recruited, the salary scales for men and women differ.
De Klerk called for an urgent need to change the status quo.
Although Namibia is signatory to many conventions on the rights of women, at regional level, women representation stands at 12 percent while at national level women hold a mere 28 percent of seats in both houses of Parliament.
At local level, their presence has been felt with a 47 percent representation.
De Klerk attributes the high percentage at local level representation to Government efforts such as the affirmative action provision.
Some cultures continue practicing what could be viewed has harmful cultural practices where women are made to feel that they are inferior to men.
She said some parents, through outdated cultural remnants, withdraw their daughters from school and tertiary institutions before they have obtained a useful qualification.
She urged such parents to immediately stop such practices for their daughters to be competitive in their adult lives.