Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund Chief Executive Officer Rosalia Martins-Hausiku has said the critical role women play in advocating for safer roads, needs to be recognised.
Speaking during the opening of the third Women in Road Safety conference and expo which started in Swakopmund on Thursday, Martins-Hausiku said crashes and resultant injuries and fatalities continue to prevail, although at a declining rate annually, placing more strain on available resources in an already depressed economy.
She noted that it is for this reason that the critical and clear role women play in pushing the agenda for safer roads, needs to be recognised.
“As women, there is nothing stopping us from being fully aware and empowered participants in the agenda of road safety. We need to firstly embrace the notion that road safety is a personal responsibility and priority. I also challenge every woman in leadership or in a position of influence to advocate for road safety at home, in their community, and at the workplace to embrace the role that we should play in the interest of saving lives on our roads,” she noted.
Martins-Hausiku further said the MVA has since the last conference held in 2019, recommended for stricter policies on animals roaming along main roads through consultations with key stakeholders such as the Roads Authority and local authorities, which will lead to new policies and sanctions to reduce animal-related crashes.
The two-day event organised by the MVA Fund is taking place under the theme ‘Women Catalysts in Road Safety.’
The Women in Road Safety conference gives women from across the country a platform to come together and find a voice for safer roads for the safety of families and the community and to minimise the impact of road crashes.
It was also created as a platform to positively influence appropriate road user behaviour and participation and regional level with the expectation that regional authorities join the implementation of road safety programmes.
The conference continues on Friday with female-led simulations and road safety activities.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
