Swapo Party MP Christine Haindaka says she will actively work to advance policies that strengthen social protection systems.
Haindaka made the pledge when she delivered her maiden speech following her swearing in recently.
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.
Given that many Namibians continue to face socio-economic challenges, the introduction of a Basic Income Grant (BIG) remains urgent.
As Namibia celebrates Human Rights Day, the Minister of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare, Doreen Sioka, called on each citizen to take action and speak out against injustice within their communities and foster dialogue.
Social protection coverage remains severely limited in Africa, despite the existence of social protection policies. This was evident from the contributions made during the International Council on Social Welfare Africa Seminar that was held in the capital.
Namibia has identified a number of entry points through which strategic national objectives related to job creation, economic development, and social protection can be attained.
Local economist Mally Likukela says that even though Namibia's investment in social protection is relatively high, assistance is largely geared toward the elderly.
The economist says it's about time the country looked into prioritizing the fastest-growing age group, the youngsters.
Some trade unions in Namibia mention quality education, outdated statistics and a lack of social protection as some of the issues hampering progress, in terms of jobs and social protection in Namibia.
