Windhoek: The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare is facing significant challenges in retaining social workers due to stiff competition from other government institutions and private-sector organizations, Minister Emma Kantema informed Parliament on Thursday.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Minister Kantema highlighted the ministry's limited control over retaining social workers, as they are highly sought after by entities such as the Ministry of Health and Social Services, the Namibia Correctional Service, the Namibian Police Force, and various private-sector organizations. This statement was made in response to questions posed in the National Assembly by Independent Patriots for Change parliamentarian, Lucia Jaturirua Mbuti, regarding the ministry's allocation of its N$402 million operational budget for hiring, training, and retaining social workers and other specialist staff.

Minister Kantema explained that the current budget allocation is N$143.5 million less than the ministry's budget for the 2025/26 financial year, and this reduction is a shortfall that adversely impacts staff recruitment efforts in both urban and rural areas. Despite these budgetary constraints, the ministry remains committed to providing ongoing training and professional development opportunities for social workers within the available resources.

To support social workers further, the ministry organizes annual or biannual debriefing sessions to offer professional support and alleviate occupational stress and burnout. These interventions aim to enhance staff capacity and enable social workers to fulfill their responsibilities effectively.

Minister Kantema pointed out the difficulty in recruiting and retaining a sufficient number of social workers due to competition for the limited pool of qualified and registered professionals. Across all 14 regions, there are 807 positions available, including roles for social workers, community liaison officers, administrative officers, and support staff, of which 477 are currently filled.

Despite the allocation of over N$19 million for 55 social worker positions in the 2025/2026 financial year, only 23 positions have been successfully filled. Minister Kantema attributed this shortfall to the limited availability of qualified social work graduates in the labor market and the preference of most available social workers for urban placements, leaving rural areas underserved.