The cases reported are some of the most disturbing to have occurred during the year the gang rape of a schoolgirl, the rape and murder of a 16yearold girl, the rape and murder of a threeyearold child, the violent rape of an 80yearold woman. Jun 03, 2014 namibia is rated as the country with the highest gender based violence statistics in the sadc region. In bangladesh, the costs of genderbased violence are estimated at 2. Violence is prevalent almost half of women 48% reported that they had experienced violence at. Gender based violence both reflects and reinforces inequalities between women and men. Eleven cases of gender based violence has been reported to the namibian police since the. To provide for the issuing of protection orders in domestic violence matters. Violence act with respect to protection orders, with a view to assessing whether the law is serving its intended purpose effectively. Namibia has some strong laws that address genderbased violence. The three issues most critical to namibias women and girls are fundamental to the countrys achievement of the mdgs and vision 2030 goals. Promoting gender equality to prevent violence against women series of briefings on violence prevention this briefing for advocates, programme designers and implementers and others is one of a sevenpart series on the evidence for interventions to prevent interpersonal and selfdirected violence. National advisory committee on gender based violence.
Promoting gender equality to prevent violence against women. It knows no social, economic or national boundaries. Regardless of these rights and the acknowledgment of the index, namibian women are still subject to gender based violence and discrimination in the workforce and can face issues accessing education and healthcare. National plan of action on genderbased violence 20122016 a. Sexual violence is harming the lives of schoolchildren worldwide the teacher can send a girl to leave her exercise books in the office and the teacher follows her to make a proposal for sex, and because she fears to answer no, she says i will answer tomorrow.
Types of gender based violence page 2 physical violence physical violence occurs when someone uses or threatens to use physical harm to attack another person. Gender based violence gbv is generally accepted as one of the most urgent issues facing namibian society and policymakers. Historically, domestic violence was considered a private family matter and police intervention often consisted of advising the abuser to cool off or to take a walk. Genderbased violence is a phenomenon deeply rooted in gender inequality, and continues to be one of the most notable human rights violations within all societies. In reality, men and women must work together to achieve real and sustainable change in namibia.
Examples include kicking, slapping, restraint preventing someone from leaving, punching, choking, striking. Focusing only on women would reinforce the stereotype that men do not have a responsibility to help fight gender based violence. The incidence of genderbased violence gbv as this form of violence has come to. Number of acts amounting to gender based violence 5. The national agenda for children 20122016 and the national action plan on gender based violence 20122016 provide guidelines for action to address violence against children, and its underlying causes. Researcher studies why gender based violence persists in namibia 31 october 2014 image taken from the autumn issue of signs. Namibia 2014 human rights report 2012 human rights report. A study on genderbased violence conducted in selected rural. Terrible crimes are being committed in namibia on a daily basis. The study is based on research which included data from. Namibias fight to end genderbased violence f ollowing decades of civil con. Special thanks are owed to unfpa staff in country offices in bangladesh, colombia, ghana, kenya, mauritania, mexico, morocco, romania, sierra leone and turkey, who demonstrated their commitment to ending violence against women through their enthusiasm and support in.
Among other factors, poverty is a contributing factor together with, a low level of development, and huge social and economic disadvantages. This educational institution was created by an act of parliament act 1 of 1997 which provides learning opportunities for adults and outofschool youth. This is more pronounced among the 44 per cent femaleheaded households in rural areas. However, violence in the region has had destabilising repercussions domestically, resulting in an additional budget. The man who sang and the woman who kept silent triptych. Genderbased violence is enacted under many different manifestations, from its most widespread form, intimate partner violence, to acts of violence carried out in online spaces. Child marriage has been linked to teen pregnancy and school drop out for girls in namibia national gender policy, 2010 2020, page 16. Namibia is the second best ranked african country, second to ghana.
Namibia is part of the 1979 convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and children. Interpretation part ii filing of, and dealing with, compliants of gender based violence 4. The report gives an overview of violence as a global, south african and namibian issue and explores the underlying causes and contributing factors, including globalization and social changes such as domestic violence and rape. Practical guide for building safe schools the practical guide features a set of practical, userfriendly ideas to help schools to realise the safe schools vision and to meet the minimum standards for safe schools. Apr 15, 20 in 2010 statistics showed that 11 770 cases of gender based violence were reported countrywide, of which 85% were serious assault cases, 9% were rapes and 3% murders. Violence against women and girls is one of the most prevalent human rights violations in the world. Domestic violence law makes difference the namibian. Contextualizing gender based violence within patriarchy in.
Namibia gender analysis 2017 legal assistance centre. The namibian recently published an article summarising some of the notable judgements that came from the courts in 2009 delays erode justice in 2009, the namibian, friday, january 8. Schoolrelated genderbased violence is preventing the. Genderbased violence among female youths in educational. Landscaping genderbased violence in namibia the institute for. Only seven women were aware that there is a gbvfocused district resource group led by the chief district officer. Unodc supports namibia police in addressing violence against women and children. Unodc supports namibia police in addressing violence against. In the case of namibia, the government at independence set an example by committing the lions share of its budget to much higher levels of spending on education and health than on defence. Gender, domestic violence, and the spread of hivaids.
Violence against women 1 in 3 women have experienced physicalsexual violence at some point in their lives. Dec 08, 2016 the 16 days of activism against genderbased violence, which happen each year from nov. Gender, health, hiv and aids 24 gender, health, reproductive heath and hiv and aids. Genderbased violence who helped to formulate actionoriented recommendations to eliminate genderbased violence, which informed the development of this plan.
Jun 09, 2016 the social work department in close collaboration with the financial support from regain trust namibia, is staging a panel discussion on. Namibia is ranked 115th in the world when analysing gender inequality index of 0. Both women and men experience genderbased violence but the majority of victims are women and girls. List common myths that are used to justify gender based violence. Genderbased violence is violence directed against a person because of their gender. The namibian college of open learning namcol is a parastatal. Seeking a lasting solution to gender based violence in namibia.
The effects of violence on womens health explaining gender based violence how do women respond to abuse. Regional strategy and framework of action for addressing gender based violence sadc regional strategy and framework of action for addressing gender based violence, 20182030 southern african development community sadc secretariat plot 54385 new cbd privatebag 0095 gaborone, botswana tel. Namibia uses a fault based system to manage divorce, and this legal system was inherited from south. Gender and violence in namibia human development reports. Combating of domestic violence act 4 of 2003 namibia legal. Thirtynine yearold sarafine kaiko uses her walker to make her way to the counter of the gender based violence unit at. Usaids aids support and technical assistance resources, aidstarone, task order 1. Namibia has some strong laws that address gender based violence. Elections held on november 28 resulted in the election of prime minister hage geingob to the presidency and retention by the ruling south west africa people s organization swapo of its large parliamentary majority. Ngo shadow report to the namibia fourth and fifth periodic. Gender based violence gender equality and the family law cluster two. Namibia gender analysis 2017 european external action. The ministry of gender equality and child welfare has also recently completed renovation of shelters in six regions for victims of gender based violence. The prevalence of gender based violence is high in subsaharan africa.
Worldwide, an estimated one in three women will experience physical or sexual abuse in her lifetime. Gender based violence is nurtured by the misinterpretation and generalization of the cultural ideology of the male head of household as the central authority in decisionmaking at family, communal and public levels. Namibia 2014 human rights report executive summary namibia is a constitutional multiparty democracy. Duty to assist or inform complainant of rights, etc. These different forms are not mutually exclusive and multiple incidences of violence can be happening at. Identify integrated social responses to gender based violence. A program guide for integrating gender based violence prevention and response in pepfar programs. The multicountry study on womens health and domestic violence against women, sponsored by the world health. In the national plan of action on gender based violence 20122016, which came into effect in 2012, several measures to decrease gbv were. Embassys american cultural center in namibia, under the american music abroad program, is hosting a series of public concerts next week on antibullying and genderbased violence delivered by american hiphop group wordsmith.
The plan was further guided by the members of the national advisory committee on genderbased violence which was launched in 2008 by his excellency hifikepunye pohamba, president. Genderbased violence undermines the health, dignity, security and autonomy of its victims, yet it remains shrouded in a culture of silence. Gender based violence, the multiple impacts of hiv and aids on women and girls and gender inequality in political participation are manifestations of a deeplyrooted belief. Cbos community based organizations cedaw convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women dhs demographic and health survey dwa department of womens affairs in the office of the president ecn electoral commission of namibia fao food and agriculture organization. Of those, less than 10% sought help from the police. Windhoek in may 2010, namibia is the first country to have adopted both a policy and action plan aligned to the sadc protocol on gender and development. Namibias first gender based violence gbv hackathon will bring together computing enthusiasts and gbv experts to create innovative technologybased solutions both mobile and web to help combat gbv in namibia a nd beyond. Organisation dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women has reported that violence against women causes more death. Within the broad theme of young women controlling their own bodies, we chose gender based violence gbv as our focus. The country achieved electoraldemocracy in 1990andcommitted itselftoa process of national reconciliation. Focusing only on women would reinforce the stereotype that men do not have a responsibility to help fight genderbased violence. Some may be eliminated tonight, it is a daily thing, she said before adding that gbv must be a thing of the past for the next generation. The economic impact of gender based violence inter press. In namibia, the 16 days of activism against gender violence campaign is spearheaded by the ministry of gender equality and child welfare.
One out of three women in namibia have experienced or will experience. Seeking solutions for genderbased violence namibian sun. How can namibia lower its hivaids status from being one of the countries with the highest infection rates to the least infected country. It also violates existing criminal laws such as those on assault, indecent assault and child abuse, as well as being covered by the combating of domestic violence act. Domestic violence is a unique crime in that the offender often lives in the same home as the victim. Addressing gender and genderbased violence to improve. An exploratory assessment and mapping of gbv response services in windhoek introduction g enderbased violence gbv is a human rights issue of endemic proportions in namibia. There is also a strong association between gender based violence and high levels of conflict in a relationship, such as conflict around. Gender based violence namibian college of open learning. Special thanks are owed to unfpa staff in country offices in bangladesh, colombia, ghana, kenya, mauritania, mexico, morocco, romania, sierra leone and turkey, who demonstrated their commitment to ending violence against women through their enthusiasm and support in the preparation of the case studies. A response driven approach immaculate mogotsi gert van rooy cynthy k. Addressing genderbased violence through community empowerment. Namibia sigi 2019 category low 27% 33% % gender index.
While international statistics vary slightly, women are victims of violence in approximately 95% of the cases of domestic violence. He pointed out that the community and the police are more focused on the offender instead of looking at the triangle of crime in totality. Domestic violence by an intimate partner is the most common form of gender based violence. Challenges for international research on gender based violence chapter two.
A study on genderbased violence conducted in selected rural districts of nepal the district police office. This gender analysis is based primarily on empirical data, with the goal of facilitating evidence based interventions. Domestic violence is contrary to the namibian constitution. Introduction experienced by an estimated one third of women worldwide unicef, 2009, gender based violence gbv is a global affront to human rights, a public health crisis, and a major barrier to development. As the most arid country south of the sahara, namibia is exposed to recurring natural disasters such as droughts and floods. The 20002001 namibia nhdr focuses on gender and violence and its impact on namibian society. The issue of gender based violence is covered by the media on a daily basis, which is a positive indicator that there is a recognition of the problem but it is also a reason to analyze the manner in which the media report on this issue and their.
Is namibia ready to fight against the gender based violence. Despite a raft of important and largely progressive legislative reforms such as the combating of domestic violence act 2003 and the combating of rape act 2000 gbv remains a developing crisis in namibia. Globally, one in three women have experienced physical or sexual violence at the hands of. Regional strategy and framework of action for addressing.
Distinguish between causes of, and contributing factors to, gender based violence. The police genderbased violence protection unit in windhoek. A digital version pdf of this document is available on the ministrys website. Women in namibia are facing increased prevalence of hiv and aids, high rates of gender based violence gbv, and continued pervasive gender and intrahousehold inequalities, which exacerbate poverty. Therefore, this study aims to produce an overall summary estimate on the prevalence of gender based violence according to different types and its risk factors among female youths in educational institutions of subsaharan africa. Researcher studies why genderbased violence persists in namibia. The panel discussion is scheduled to take place on thursday, 07 july 2016 at the franco namibia cultural centre, at 17h00. Wordsmith will perform three concerts while in namibia. The constitution of the republic of namibia guarantees both equality on the basis of sex and. Is namibia ready to fight the gender based violence gbv crisis. The namibia legal assistance center lac has reported the challenges of collecting data on domestic violence due to the lack of separation between domestic violence. Children who were abused are more likely prevention of violence. Namibia is located in subsaharan africa, a region that has some of the highest crime rates in the world.
Republic of namibia national gender policy 20082018. It is therefore regrettable that hardly a day passes without reports of murder, rape, beatings, or other forms of violence against women and girls at the hands of men. Discuss effects of genderbased violence on women, womens families, perpetrators, and society as a whole. Pdf research thesis on effects of gender based violence. A study on genderbased violence conducted in selected. Namibia, 2009 and the gender based violence investigation units gbvius, former women and child protection unit wacpus ministry of gender equality and child welfare 2012. Knowledge, attitude, and practices on traditional practices that may perpetuate or protect namibia from gender based violence and discrimination. Namibia is an upper middle income country with a stable democracy, sound financial and economic policies and strong political commitment to improving the welfare of its people. This is important because public and policymaker perceptions are not always backed up.
Namibia has the highest statistics of genderbased violence. For example, according to government statistics, the unemployment rate reached 28. Haihambo zack kazapua michael shirungu nelago indongo kletus likuwa omu kakujahamatundu editor. On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 representing the least rights and 5 representing the most rights available. Gender based violence in namibia since namibia s independence in 1990, the country has been admired both at home and abroad, as a beacon of stability, peace, and security. First gender based violence gbv hackathon invitation to. Genderbased violence unfpa united nations population fund. Namibia has a high rate of domestic violence, particularly against women and children. Pdf most studies on gender based violence gbv have focused on its physical, sexual, and psychological manifestations. The number of rape cases reported annually was estimated to be between 700 and 1,600 in 2010, and domestic violence is primarily done by men against women. Mar 9 2017 no country can afford genderbased violence. Domestic violence has been condemned by international agreements which namibia.
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