Namibian Women and Democracy: The 50/50 Campaign

The Women's Environmental and Development Organisation is spearheading a local grassroots campaign to strengthen the role of Namibian women in government and society.

The Gender and Governance Program seeks women's full and equal access to all areas and all levels of public life, working toward gender balance in terms of participation and representation, especially in governmental decision-making positions.

The Gender and Governance Program focuses on three strategies:

• raising awareness about the under-representation of women in decision-making positions and the policy difference that women make when represented in critical numbers;
• spreading a global campaign called 50/50 by 2005: Get the Balance Right!;
• and developing information resources and advocacy tools on strategies to achieve equal representation in decision-making bodies.