Namibia will assume important leadership positions in international institutions next year and will use the opportunity to support and increase female participation in leadership positions.
This was said by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah while addressing the first anniversary of the International Women’s Peace Centre, here Monday.
She said the positions include the role of the Southern Africa Development Community Organ on Politics, Defence and Security, and the African Union Peace and Security Council.
‘Namibia intends to use these opportunities to support strategies on increasing women’s leadership at international organisations and platforms,’ she added.
She highlighted that there is a need to support leadership development for women and girls in order to assist them in cultivating their political potential and professional skills.
‘There is also a need for increased integration of gender in national planning and budgeting as part of our strategies to train national officials to execute plans and programmes, hence strengthening the abilities of women to advocate for decision-making positions and political leadership in general,’ said Nandi-Ndaitwah.
The space for women’s participation in peace processes, including training women mediators and advocating gender equality measures, is critical to security policies and practices should be broadened.
In the context of the women agenda, Nandi-Ndaitwah said peace should not only signify the absence of peace in armed conflict, but should include ideas about peace in communities as sexual and gender-based violence (GBV) remains one of the barriers to attaining inclusive peace in the societies and communities.
‘That is why the centre has recently entered into an MoU to develop a mobile application aimed at coordinating responses to combat sexual GBV,’ stated Nandi-Ndaitwah.
Through joint efforts and working together, society and the country leadership can address challenges faced by women, including barriers to women’s participation in peace and security processes, she said.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
