'Not Enough Laws for Gender Equity'

September 8, 2005 – (New Era) Despite several colonial laws being scrapped by the new government at Independence, it appears the new laws are just not enough to ensure gender equality in society, says Gender Equality and Child Welfare Minister Marlene Mungunda.

There seem to be practices that need to be changed given their oppression on the most vulnerable groups of society, namely women, children and the urban and rural poor.

Mungunda says if the country has been liberated, let this be visible at all levels of society where both men and women would be able to enjoy the fruits of independence.

Gender inequality has been visible in most homes where women are expected to submit to their partners even in instances where a woman knows that inequality is taking its course.

The economic dependency of women has equally contributed to their subordination and thus, "I will never be tired of repeating that gender equality will only be achieved once women are economically empowered", she stated.

The ministry has tried to improve the situation of women by introducing initiatives directed towards empowering women through the support of community members with small grant activities. This is done in an effort to encourage entrepreneurial skills and income generating initiatives, thereby decreasing the trend of high dependency on men for financial support.

So far, a total of 127 projects have been supported with 887 people benefiting.

In the previous years, the trend has been for women to be restricted from owning property. There was always a need for a husband's approval if a woman wished to get a bank loan. The same was and still is manifest in some communities where "unfair" cultural practices are imposed on women to the benefit of men.

She says: "Women could not own property, could not sell their produce or decide about their children's issues without the approval of their husbands," and these things continued to happen in some communities in post-independent Namibia.

However, Mungunda reminds all citizens that the supreme law of Namibia, which is the Constitution, grants every person equal rights regardless of their race, colour, gender, language, tribe, economic and social status among others.

This is supported by the approval of laws against all forms of violence against women and children in both formal and informal relationships. She ended with a call on all social players in society to coordinate efforts so as to promote the noble goals of gender equality and child welfare. "Times of divisions are over; time for cooperation, solidarity and unity is now," she stated.

Mungunda was speaking during the Women's Action for Development (WAD) field day in Outjo last week.

From: http://allafrica.com/stories/200509080199.html