Women’s Voices: Plural, Varied, Amplified
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
– 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
– 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
– Namupa Shivute Over two years ago, I made the decision to work from home. The main reason was to liberate myself from the anti-black and anti-queer spaces of full-time employment. My top priorities were restoring my mental and spiritual health, getting plenty of rest and most excitedly spending more time with my wonderful children. What I did not expect is how this decision would considerably alter the way I… Keep Reading
– Frieda Ndeutala Kaunapawa Mukufa Coming from a black household that is deeply Christian and is highly embedded into culture and tradition, the topic of abortion is a no go at the table of discussion. It is often shunned upon to even fathom the idea that a woman should feel the need and choose to terminate a pregnancy because she feels like it. With this practice, comes the imprisonment of… Keep Reading
– Beatrice Schultz “I can’t concentrate in class because I worry about him: how he is, if he has eaten, if he is ok…” Books clutched to her chest, head down, walking through the corridors hoping not to be seen. The teachers don’t see her, her peers laugh and avoid her. Suddenly she has become a sign of shame in the school. Everyday is a challenge to make it to… Keep Reading
– By Agnes Yeboah Gender diversity in the workplace is not a big ask. It is a small and simple goal. It is the basic ambition of having an equal number of men and women in an organisation. Also known as gender parity, it can specifically be defined as having an equal number of men and women hired at a similar rate, compensated equally for the same job, and given… Keep Reading
– Bertha Tobias Young Namibian women are currently picking up the baton of revolutionary social change as it pertains to gender equality in the Land of the Brave. They currently self-determine in ways that our foremothers could have only dreamed for them. Importantly, they are running through the left-over shards of the glass ceiling which has been shattered by the sheroes who came before us. When I reflect on the… Keep Reading
– Bertha Tobias “Without community, there is no liberation.” Poet warrior and feminist Audre Lorde’s sentiment speaks to the power of communities to actualise significant socio-cultural changes. Lorde’s statement reminds us that community is responsible for culture and, by extension, the ways in which it governs our everyday lives. More often than not, culture shapes our worldviews and decides our perceptions long before we have the chance to do so… Keep Reading
