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Misanet.com / The Namibia Economist, 2 June - Women's Action for Development, which recently became a Namibian non-governmental organisation, has been supporting and facilitating the development of women in Namibia for a number of years. Mrs Veronica de Klerk, executive director, spoke in an interview, about where women were in Namibian society, where they are and where they are going. She said that when the organisation started, the situation in the country was very disturbing as far as women were concerned. Particularly in the rural areas, cultural practices saw women lead to believe that their opinions were inferior. Women in Namibia were downtrodden, under-privileged, deprived and suffering from inferiority complexes on a wide scale, she said. Lack of self-confidence lead to Namibian women finding themselves in mental bondage, she said. De Klerk spoke of widespread tunnel vision. Women's Action for Development (WAD) embarked on training programmes designed to promote self-reliance among Namibian women. "Think big!" is the message that she said they were spreading. As an example she mentioned bread-baking programmes that started by teaching the women of rural Namibia to make bricks first. These bricks were then used to build a bakery. The bakery was equipped with an oven and only then was the process of baking bread embarked upon. She also pointed out that no programme was ever embarked on before a market for the goods produced was established. Finding these markets is also included in the training. "Now they are realising and broadening their horizons!" she said. Mrs de Klerk said that another concern should have been addressed by the Married Persons Equality Act, which has not yet been promulgated. This concern is that women in Namibia are still not on equal footing with their male counterparts particularly within the home. She said that WAD's aim is to enable women to develop the regions together with men. Not behind men or under men or even in front of men but together with men, she said. According to De Klerk, the parliamentary standing committee on gender equality has been invited by WAD to discuss the issue. Today WAD is leading women not only in economic empowerment but also in socio-political empowerment, she said. An example of this is the partnerships in income generating activities at WAD projects with the establishment of pre-primary education centres. Parent's committees, encouraging parents to take charge of their children's education, run these centres. A further example of this socio-economic empowerment is the regional establishment of Women's Voice bodies. These are lobby groups responsible for encouraging job creation opportunities, identifying social problems and addressing them through lobbying the relevant authorities. Already in six regions throughout the country, Women's Voice bodies have been established with a total of 42 members. Through these groups, awareness that they are extremely powerful is being instilled in Namibia's women, according to De Klerk. As for the future, she speaks with enthusiasm of a National Women's Voice body, which she expects to come into existence in the next year or two. She said of the women of Namibia, "We are becoming more and more aware of our own strength." As for the future, Veronica de Klerk said that in 10 years, "We are going to be far!" By Augetto Graig, The Namibia Economist
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