President Hage Geingob has called on men to come to the forefront in the fight against gender-based violence (GBV) as the world marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
Dr. Geingob says the aim should be to create a society where every woman and girl can live with dignity, equality, and security.
The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women aims to create awareness about the fact that violence against women is a human rights violation.
This year, the day is observed under the theme 'Invest to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls', with a call to citizens to demonstrate how much they care about ending violence against women.
President Geingob, in a statement, highlighted that Namibia has made significant progress in addressing violence against women and girls through the Combating of Domestic Violence Act and the Affirmative Action Act.
These laws, he says, aim to protect victims, promote gender equality, and ensure women's representation in decision-making.
Namibia has also developed the National Action Plan, which the President says culminated through awareness-raising campaigns, workshops, and educational programmes on nder-based v violence, to expand support services and improve data collection.
The Head of State further acknowledged initiatives by the Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication, and Social Welfare, along with various stakeholders, aimed at preventing violence against women and girls.
In line with this goal, specialised units within the Namibian Police Force have been set up to deal with gender-based violence.
However, President Geingob says it is disheartening to note that a significant portion of GBV incidents go unreported, fueled by the prevailing impunity, silence, stigma, and shame that shroud them.
He thus called on Namibians to strive to create an environment where survivors feel safe to come forward, where perpetrators are held accountable for their actions, and where support services are readily available.
The UN estimates that globally, an estimated 736 million women, almost one in three, have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both, at least once in their lives.