The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Poverty Eradication, Labour and Industrial Relations of the National Assembly convened a workshop to discuss how to strengthen social protection systems for the most vulnerable citizens.

The Chairperson of the Committee, Justina Jonas, highlighted the importance of social protection in promoting human development and reducing inequality.

She said that Namibia has made notable progress since independence in building a more inclusive social protection framework that benefits children, women, people with disabilities, and the elderly.

According to the Namibia Statistics Agency's 2023 Population and Housing Census, more than 618,000 Namibians currently benefit from social grants. 

These include about 200,000 old-age pensioners, 356,000 orphans and vulnerable children, and over 50,000 people with disabilities.

The workshop focused on understanding national policy, identifying gaps in the current system, strengthening parliamentary oversight, and developing actionable recommendations for equity.