Deputy Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Hilma Nicanor has urged commanders in the ministry to ensure reinforcement and implementation of the Gender Policy and create awareness about gender equality.

In a speech delivered on her behalf at the opening of a workshop to validate the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) Gender Policy and Procedures in Swakopmund on Monday, Nicanor noted that gender issues have become a significant subject in the military sector.

The NDF gender policy was developed to ensure the effectiveness of the force’s operations.

“Many armed forces, including the NDF, recognise that mixed teams of female and male troops may better fulfil mission goals. As a result, the NDF aims at recruiting, retaining, and promoting more women into senior roles, as well as to build strong morale and prevent internal abuse within the armed forces,” she said.

The five-day workshop also intends to give guidelines that will help the adoption of strategies aimed at empowering women and eliminating all tendencies that view them with contempt, which are generally due to cultural upbringings.

The draft policy shuns this reactionary tendency and encourages men and women in the NDF to acquaint themselves with and adhere to the guidelines set in the policy.

“Having a gender policy in place, will ensure equality, the prosperity and sustainable development of all institutions or societies, while ensuring that nobody is left behind,” according to the policy.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency