Swakopmund — Minister of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare (MGEPESW) Doreen Sioka has voiced concern over the lack of women’s representation in Namibia’s National Council.
According to a new release by NAMPA, Sioka addressed the issue during the Capacity Building Workshop on Women in Politics and Decision Making, held in Swakopmund. The workshop was organized by MGEPESW and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA). “Though we are doing well in the National Assembly, the picture is different with the National Council, where statistics show that women are currently underrepresented with only six women out of 46,” stated Sioka.
Sioka emphasized that for Namibia to achieve a 50/50 gender representation in accordance with the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development, the number of women in the National Council needs to change drastically. “Namibia cannot continue to speak about gender equality and equal representation of men and women in politics and decision-making without involving women as they play a crucial role in addressing gender issues in law-making, representation and oversight,” she added.
She further noted that improvement can only be realized if women are provided with the necessary skills to build their self-confidence and to advance collectively, as well as to assume advanced oversight roles. “We all see that in cases where parties do not get many seats, women are left out and only men make it to Parliament, so let us look at our political party constitutions and manifestos and propose strategies for mainstreaming gender within the political party system,” Sioka said.
The objectives of the three-day workshop include training, mentoring, and coaching of women from various political parties and those in decision-making positions. The program aims to strengthen the capacity of women in politics and decision-making at all levels.
Deputy Minister of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare Bernadette Jagger, during her opening remarks, mentioned that the workshop serves as an opportune platform to identify sustainable measures and good practices to promote gender equality and women’s political empowerment within political parties.