llKharas Governor Aletha Frederick, at the launch of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence (GBV), says society needs to uproot the causes of violence against women and girls.
Frederick reminded those in attendance that the festive season should be a time of family bonding and urged ||Kharas residents to look out for each other and report issues of domestic violence.
This year's theme for the commemoration of the 16 Days of Activism Against GBV is Unite to End Violence Against Women and Girls.
During this annual global solidarity action, governments and organizations across the world participate in various campaigns to raise awareness about the negative impact that violence and abuse have on women and children.
"I am calling on all of us to participate in different activities happening in our region: community meetings, conversations at the family level, or workplaces. We can all make a difference if we choose to. Let us promote peace and stability in our homes and society at large," said Frederick.
Between 2023 and 2024, Keetmanshoop reported 165 cases related to gender-based violence.
According to Josef Isaaks, the Chairperson of the ||Kharas Regional Council, the number of women and girls lost to domestic violence in Namibia is still high and requires immediate attention.
He called on fathers and men in general to protect their families and stop the discrimination against women.
"Men are the ones that are there to protect societies, there to protect the households. He is a pillar in the house, and therefore we as men must teach our boys we know where we come from. We come from a dispensation where women were not really equal to men, and I am referring to the colonial times where the prevalence was given to man, and therefore man was equipped economically, and they were the ones that could sustain the households."
According to the Demographic Health Survey of 2013, Namibia has a gender-based violence prevalence rate of 33%.
During the 2023/24 financial year, the police recorded 4,814 GBV-related cases countrywide, of which the |Khomas Region recorded the highest number of 758, followed by the Erongo Region with 493 cases and the Oshana Region with 463 GBV-related cases.