The Ministry of Gender Affairs and Child Welfare is reviewing and developing a revised National Gender-Based Violence Plan of Action, which will act as a guiding tool in the intervention of the day-to-day fight against GBV.

This was revealed by the Executive Director of the Ministry, Lydia Indombo.

Indombo addressed the closing of a Training of Trainers session on the National Training Resource Kit on Gender-Based Violence, held in Swakopmund.

Media practitioners were familiarized with the toolkit, which is to serve as part of a holistic approach to firstly understand and then take practical steps to overcome Gender-Based Violence in Namibia.

The toolkit complements the National Plan of Action on Gender-Based Violence for 2019 to 2023.

The training was organized by the Ministry of Gender Affairs and Child Welfare in collaboration with the GIZ under its Prevention of Gender-Based Violence in Southern Africa project.

The Executive Director, Lydia Indombo, said it was imperative, given the nation's background of GBV cases, that the scourge be tackled collectively and head-on.

"We have read, we have heard, and we have witnessed the rising number of child sexual abuse cases. The recent horrific rape and murder cases in Okahandja and mass killings in Usakos are among many cases that have sparked and left us all in tears. However, despite these challenges, the fight should continue one way or another."

According to recent police figures, the country recorded about 4,405 cases of GBV between April 2024 and February 2025.

Of these, 1,345 were rape cases.

Participants at the four-day workshop, including staff of the Ministry of Gender Affairs and Child Welfare, had this to say.