People can protest against gender-based violence (GBV) in the streets but if the community is not ready to join all those who speak out on GBV, Namibia can be called a doomed nation, Deputy Minister of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare, Bernadette Jagger has said.
Jagger who made these remarks here during a stakeholder meeting on the fight of GBV on Thursday said: “If we are not careful, it will come soon that no other country will associate themselves with Namibia. Let’s fight GBV my people, we are a country with a small population, we cannot afford to lose lives because of GBV. We have already during this COVID-19 pandemic lost so many productive people.”
The deputy minister called on traditional leaders to teach their customary laws to their communities, to bring back the culture that communities understand what laws expect from them.
“They must obey the laws or otherwise face punishment in your community courts, clergymen and women must create platforms from church level to speak on the social ills,” she cited.
She further said parents’ actions at home concerning GBV expose children to inhuman conditions and corroding moral values that have a negative effect on their behaviour both at school and outside the school environment.
Jagger urged the community at the village to stand up against violence adding that education is a key agent of change to help break the cycle of violence, not just against children but also among elders and in society in general.
“Violence in schools may be reasons for children absconding school or classes, low retention rates, high dropouts, and high repetition rates. It is therefore important that parents keep a watchful eye over their school-going children,” she said.
She added that government remains committed to protect rights of children, women and men at all levels.
“If we become blind to see GBV in our own house and in the community then it means you are an accomplice to violence, we can’t be silent and watch as more and more women and girls become victims of the elderly men,” said Jagger.
Some of the community members at Aroab urged the deputy minister to bring educational programmes on GBV to the village.
“To fight GBV is not just to report to the police after it has occurred, but you need prevention too, you need to educate people on GBV, so we need those services here, we also want an office of your ministry here, Keetmanshoop is far for us thus we cannot get the necessary services,” said one of the participants.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
