The Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare on Wednesday started with three days of training for its male staff members and members of the public on how to prevent Gender Based Violence (GBV).

While addressing the participants in his opening remarks, Deputy Minister Royal /Ui/o/oo said the event aims to raise awareness of GBV prevention; encourage men to be the catalysts in addressing GBV and show the participants an overview of the related laws, which include sexual harassment in order to ensure gender equality and fight GBV in communities.

“In order to develop GBV programmes that include prevention and survival services, there is a need and an opportunity to engage men as active allies and partners. Allow me to call on all men in this workshop and men out there in our communities to get involved in the fight against GBV, provided that this doesn’t in any way contravene the mutual respect that can exist in spaces shared by men and women,” /Ui/o/oo said, adding that everyone should work towards a violence-free society and be agents of change.

One of the participants, Salem Embashu, said he is looking forward to learning about how GBV can be prevented and to spread the massage in his community, because he is tired of reading about women being abused in the newspapers almost every week.

The workshop ends Friday.

Source: Namibia Press Agency