Windhoek: President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah on Wednesday marked International Human Rights Day and the Namibia Women’s Day with a call for renewed national commitment to equality, dignity, and protection for all.
According to Namibia Press Agency, this year’s International Human Rights Day is commemorated under the theme ‘Human Rights: Our Everyday Essentials.’ In a statement to observe the day, Nandi-Ndaitwah said that the theme captures the principle that rights are not theoretical but central to how Namibia governs and serves its people. She noted that Namibia remains steadfast in protecting the rights of all people, especially the elderly, indigenous communities, and persons with disabilities.
She highlighted free primary and secondary education, plans to subsidise tertiary education, and investments in healthcare as proof of the government’s commitment to ensuring that every Namibian deserves dignity, opportunity, and a fair chance. However, Nandi-Ndaitwah cautioned that safeguarding rights cannot be left to the State alone, stressing that ‘Challenges like youth unemployment, child labour, and the protection of vulnerable people demand collective action. We cannot claim progress on human rights while some among us live in fear or on the margins.’
The President also extended Namibia’s solidarity to communities facing conflict elsewhere on the African continent and beyond, including the people of Gaza in Palestine, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, and Western Sahara. ‘Namibia’s own history of struggle teaches us that no nation should face injustice alone. Solidarity is not symbolic. It is a moral responsibility,’ she said.
In Namibia, International Human Rights Day is commemorated alongside the Namibia Women’s Day, which pays tribute to the historic role that Namibian women played in the liberation struggle. Nandi-Ndaitwah said the day honours the generations of women whose sacrifices laid the foundation for the country’s democracy. ‘The political space we occupy today exists because countless women, known and unknown, stood firm in the face of injustice,’ she said, emphasising that women continue to shape national development in boardrooms, government, and business.
Nandi-Ndaitwah, who is the first female Namibian head of state, also called for urgent action to end gender-based violence, describing it as ‘a violation of human dignity and a betrayal of the values our freedom fighters stood for.’