Leaders from various backgrounds in the Omaheke Region gathered at the Epako Women’s Centre at Gobabis on Wednesday to revive the regional gender task force committee.
The one-day workshop, attended mainly by traditional leaders and other stakeholders in the region, aimed to re-establish the permanent task force and raise awareness about national gender implementation tools.
Omaheke Governor and chairperson of the task force committee, Pijoo Nganate, highlighted the need for more action to combat gender-based violence in the communities and the nation as a whole, emphasising that this can be achieved through unity. Nganate further emphasised that discussions on this topic should involve not only those who are literate, but also those willing to enact change within themselves and their communities.
‘This has become a topical issue now, and it should be taboo for someone to abuse another person in any way,’ he noted.
‘We have many children roaming our streets, and the majority of them are boys. These are th
e future frustrated fathers who will commit more of these crimes. Let us consider how we can support the boy child in our society.’
‘We have discontented individuals in our society because some of them do not know where their next meal will come from, or where they will sleep. These are serious social issues affecting us all, and this committee should ensure that we avoid division and promote stable households among our people,’ Nganate expressed.
Chief Hendrick Martin of the !Xoo Traditional Authority from Aminuis voiced his concerns about laws and policies that, according to him, have caused division in households.
‘Even if we aim to promote coexistence among our people, men now feel like they are not respected, even in their own homes, as children and women are no longer submissive and respectful towards them. This creates problems in our households,’ he said.
The regional committee, established in 2014, became dormant for the last five years due to a lack of funding.
Source: The Namibia Press Agency