President Hage Geingob met recently with representatives of the Southern African Regional Secretariat of the Pan African Women’s Organisation (PAWO-SARO).
The Pan African Women’s Organisation (PAWO) of which PAWO-SARO is part, was established in 1962 – a year before the Organisation of African Unity – and played a significant role in building unity and solidarity among African women during crucial periods in the struggle for political emancipation.
Today the organisation celebrates the key role that African women’s movements, organisations and networks have played in advancing the liberation of Africa from colonisation and apartheid and in the pursuit of equality, peace and development for African people.
PAWO in years past signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding with the Namibian government, which came into force in September 2013. In line with the resolutions of PAWO’s 2008 congress – which elected Namibia to host the regional office – the country shall do so for a period of five years until the next congress.
The PAWO-SARO headquarters have been named in honour of war veteran of the Namibian liberation struggle and founding member of PAWO, late Putuse Appolus.
The secretariat assured the government of its commitment to meeting its collective responsibility in the implementation of the aims and objectives of PAWO toward the upliftment and development of all women on the African continent.