Women’s Voices: Plural, Varied, Amplified
Ester Mbathera For many of the people at Divundu settlement, ‘rape’ or ‘statutory rape’ are foreign terms that they only read or hear about in the media. These forms of sexual abuse are not widely spoken about, despite the high pregnancy rates among young girls under the age of 15. These pregnancies are often the result of sexual relationships between young girls and older men meaning that they are legally… Keep Reading
Words and Images by Ester Mbathera The Divundu settlement on the banks of the Kavango River is one of the communities with high teenage pregnancy rates in the Kavango East region. In this village, 200 kilometres from the region’s capital of Rundu, it isn’t unusual to find girls as young as 13 who are mothers, and girls who have two children by the age of 15. The contraceptive injection, which… Keep Reading
The Maputo Protocol “places a moral obligation on African UnionMember States to promote equal opportunities formen and women to play meaningful roles in society,” according to the Women, `Gender and Development Directorate of the African Union Commission. In the 18 years since Namibia has signed the Maputo Protocol, it has rarely been mentioned by our leaders, or by anyone talking about gender equality, despite signing on to this moral obligation…. Keep Reading
Welcome to Sister Namibia’s newest project: Mapping Maputo 2022! The Maputo Protocol, or the Protocol on the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights On the Rights of Women in Africa, is an instrument adopted by the African Union in 2003 as with the goal of guaranteeing the rights of women in Africa. As of May 2022, it has been signed and ratified by 42 countries, and signed by nine… Keep Reading
– Martha Mukaiwa If there’s any doubt that Namibia’s social justice evolution is queer, one need only witness the wave of a rainbow flag below Windhoek’s bronze statue of Namibia’s founding father as Ndiilokelwa Nthengwe yells a slogan that is often a prelude to pearl-clutching. “My koekie, my keus!” A translation of what the gender-non-binary intersectional activist and author is shouting as protesters raise wire hangers in the air ahead… Keep Reading
– Zorena Jantze 29-year-old Zelda Goases has spent the last 12 weeks studying to be a paramedic. She wants to help people and save lives. But recently, this dream was left hanging in the balance after a kiss with a same-sex peer came with unexpected ramifications. Now, she spends her days in limbo in the confines of her room after what she perceived as a good luck peck between friends…. Keep Reading
– Venicia Shanjenka Namibia, like many African countries, is plagued by the coercive practice of child marriage. The matter remains a concern because of weak efforts from public servants and civil society to address outdated practices. Children are deprived of their right to education, health, and safety as a result of forced marriages. Forced marriage is when an adult or traditional elder coerces a child into entering a marriage and,… Keep Reading
– Article taken from our partners at Blog4SDG’s I am Georges, I was called “Lady” and I am going to tell you what happened inside my head. On March 8th 2021, I went out for a ride with my Suzuki motorbike as I like to do when I have some free time. That day I took the direction of Katutura and wanted to visit the open air market. On my… Keep Reading
– Zorena Jantze SITTING by the reception desk of the Rights Not Rescue Trust’s (RNRT) office, Daniel Ashanti Koos spends the quiet winter morning basking in the little sunlight that streams in through the front window. The transwoman, who is currently in the midst of a court battle, was last year thrust into the limelight when a video of her being tied up to a chair and then whipped by… Keep Reading
– Thembi Kandanga Women have come a long way in gaining and maintaining their financial autonomy, but the playing field is far from level. A woman’s ability to make decisions about their money – this is the premise of financial autonomy for women. I truly believe that can only be achieved through financial literacy for young girls and women. Focusing literacy efforts on girls in high school and university is… Keep Reading
– Nghidimondjila Hashikutuva On 11 June 2020, psychological counsellor and activist Beauty Boois started a petition on change.org, demanding the legalisation of abortion on demand in Namibia, and the liberalisation of abortion laws in the country. However, despite its success (the petition received over 60,000 signatures in less than a month), and the extensive nationwide debate on reproductive rights and justice that followed, Namibia still has not seen any legal… Keep Reading
– Nghidimondjila Hashikutuva “One day during our rotation, a lecturer pulled away my scrubs without my permission, to see my tattoo. Luckily, I was wearing a t-shirt underneath, so he was not able to see anything,” recounts a medical student at the University of Namibia (UNAM) School of Medicine. *Josephine, now a sixth year student at UNAM, says that at first, she did not “think too much of it” until… Keep Reading
