Participants at a workshop on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) at Keetmanshoop said there is no excuse for sexual violence.

The workshop was conducted by the Karas Arts Dance Academy (KADA) youth group and supported by the Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare.

Unequal power relationships generally result in psychological, physical, and sexual violence.

Those who do not have appropriate support structures may resort to suicide when the going gets tough.

Between January last year and May this year, about 700 suicide cases were recorded in Namibia.

It is against this backdrop that the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare is conducting an awareness campaign on sexual and gender-based violence.

"These types of workshops will help young people and everyone to gain knowledge and skills on how to disclose when it comes to SGBV, as well as how to help affected people when it comes to SGBV. It's happening everywhere in our country, so for the past month, we have been hearing of people killing themselves. You will be like, was it a healthy relationship or was it an unhealthy relationship?" Sercy Mashina, Community Liaison Officer at the Ministry, agreed.

Ivan Mueze, the Project Manager of KADA, said workshops of this nature will go a long way in addressing incidences of SGBV and equipping young people with life skills that will protect them from falling victim to gender-based violence.

"Not only are men abusing, but women are also abusing in different ways. So at the same time with this workshop, we also want to enlighten men that abuse is just abuse. There is no excuse for abuse, no matter what. You cannot justify abusing somebody."

Eighteen young people from the Keetmanshoop Urban Constituency took part in the week-long workshop. 

The ministry plans to hold similar workshops in all seven constituencies of the ||Kharas Region.