President Hifikepunye Pohamba is disappointed with the under-representation of women on his party list for the upcoming elections.
Addressing a Swapo Party rally recently in Oshakati, Pohamba said the party needs to improve on the nomination of women candidates at local authorities and constituency levels in order to create a balan-ce between men and women candidates.
Oshana is one of the regions in the country where Swapo has low representation of women as party candidates.
Rosalia Shilenga, the candidate for Okatana Constituency, is the only woman who made it during Swapo primaries in all 10 constituencies of Oshana Region.
"We really need to improve. We need a fair and balanced representation for both men and women," said Pohamba when he presented Swapo candidates for different constituencies in Oshana Region to Swapo supporters during the rally.
According to the Swapo leader, who is also head of state, like their male counterparts, women also carry out tasks successfully whenever they are assigned to do them.
He pointed at the Minister of Finance Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila as one of Namibia's women entrusted with one of the country's major responsibilities.
"The Minister of Finance is a Namibian child. She is delegated by the Swapo government to look after the Namibian government's finances. That is why I am disappointed by the lack of appointment of women at the constituency level. I want to see a lot more Saaras, I have faith in the Namibian woman," said Pohamba.
There is however a better representation of women at local authority level. Ongwediva and Ondangwa each have three women out of seven candidates, while Oshakati Town Council has two women and five men.
