The Swapo Party Women's Council (SPWC) Central Committee held its meeting at Outapi.

Officially opening the meeting, First Lady Monica Geingos also launched the Swapo Party Women's Council Research and Advisory Cadre Committee.

Geingos explained that members of the SPWC Research and Advisory Committee are expected to lead by example and ensure the Council produces high-quality research for women to take informed positions and decisions on complex issues.

She says the structure requires women in the committee to work long hours and harder than others without focusing on or worrying too much about members who will not attend meetings.

Members are required to stay focused and deliver to their best abilities, adding that serving the Swapo Party means serving all Namibians.

"There will be gossip about how and why you got into the research committee; work hard anyway; there will be days you will feel unappreciated and misunderstood; work hard anyway; the frustrations and accusations are destructions; never allow yourself to be distracted from your duty to work for the party."

She congratulated the Women's Council leadership, through its Secretary Fransina Kahungu, for taking the bold initiative to trust an inter-generational mix of women with the responsibility of research and advice.

"Swapo has incredible, inherent talents, and what SPWC is doing is showing that one should not fear talents but nurture them; this is a sign of competency and self-confidence; one should not fear the talents of others but embrace them."

Geingos says that as comrades, they do not need to speak the same language or like each other, but they do need to agree that they need to work together if they want to succeed.

The Women's Council Research and Advisory Cadre Committee of 16 members is chaired by Kadiva Hamutumwa and deputized by Libertha Kapere, while Innocentia Gaoes is the secretary.