21st Century Namibian Women Politicians

"These commitments encompass the development of sports infrastructure, career advancement, education, as well as the arts and creative industries."

"The party has committed to creating approximately 256,000 jobs over the course of her five-year term."

"For reasons related to their weak socio-economic positions, women rely on the law and its enforcement. Many countries have sought, through constitutional and other legal instruments including labour codes, to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex or to proclaim equality between women and men as a fundamental human right. However, certain classes of workers, such as domestic workers, agricultural workers and those engaged in small enterprises or family undertakings, are often excluded from the scope of application, and women predominate in these categories."

"The programmes should also be aimed at women themselves, especially poor and uneducated women who have been so socialised or bound by a “culture of poverty” that their attitude is one of dependence – rather than of being proactive in order to mobilise themselves for change and progress. In addition, since socialisation begins at home, sensitisation efforts should also target family members and local communities."

"In some countries that have seen a rise of religious fundamentalism, and in others that are experiencing a state of transition, there is evidence of the reinforcement of these traditional attitudes. A prerequisite, therefore, is to raise awareness and to sensitise communities, so that those in decision-making positions in national and local-level government, among employers, in workers’ organisations and in non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have the appropriate mindsets and technical capacity to understand and deal with the issues raised above. Indeed, such gender awareness should be introduced as part of general training programmes."

"When we come up with programmes aimed at raising awareness on gender equality, it is imperative that we take cognisance of directing these programmes at men: most of them have misunderstood the concept of equality, either intentionally or through ignorance. The idea of the male breadwinner and the female homemaker is still dominant in many societies – and southern Africa is no exception."

"As children, they suffer discrimination within their own family, which is followed by a lack of opportunity in education and training. As young women, they suffer the consequences of their lower levels of literacy, education, legal understanding, confidence and awareness by finding only poorly paid jobs that require a low level of skill. As young mothers, they put up with their lack of financial autonomy and free time to honour their family commitments. Constrained by their reproductive role, when they return to part-time employment after a period of motherhood, they frequently experience what is known as downward occupational mobility, and get stuck in lower-grade positions."

"It is a well-known fact that women in most parts of the world face a multitude of injustices, disparities and discrimination, unlike their male counterparts. Women workers, for example, face many barriers on their way to equal participation and leadership because entry to that world is based on credentials– which many women have never obtained."

"I am confident that you will all participate in the information-sharing so that you will eventually come up with tangible recommendations that can be adopted as possible solutions to the problems faced by our women in particular."

"It is really both a privilege and a delight to have this opportunity of being here at the Southern African Regional Workshop on the Situation of Gender and to have the opportunity of spending a few moments with you this morning, while trying to share some information that would nodoubt be useful in our work."

"We have a clinics like Etanga and Otjondeka but they have not benefited. Kunene is still in need of rural electrification. Most schools are not electrified, only a few are."

"Kunene is marginalized all the time. The electricity coming from Ruacana via Etoto, those people have not benefited. People in Okahozu and Okaupaue were also supposed to benefit but they did not. There is a need for rural electrification in the region. Most people here are not enjoying the cake of Namibia, only a few have benefited"

"This document is thick and people were supposed to have been given this document earlier for them to come prepared which will see meaningful contributions made"

"We should first develop our minds and then we can talk of development"

"If you look at the situation in South Africa, Namibia is better off but if we are not careful we will end up like them and we know how it happened there,"

"They are there de-bushing in Windhoek. Why can't they also go to their hometowns and villages and de-bush there? This is why I say they are not fighting the land issue the way they should. The youth wing of Swapo used to fight for development and not what we are currently seeing. They must stop politicising the land issue"

"I know the Namibian youth and those that say they are fighting for land, they are not doing it for the people, they are doing it for positions…. If you look around why don't you see them here? It is because they are fighting for Windhoek land only"

"The youth who claim to be fighting for land are not doing it in the interest of landless Namibians, but rather for their own “selfish political agendas"

"USA is the oldest democracy in the world but they only have two political parties"

"When a soldier enters war his priority is not to survive but to assassinate the enemy and he automatically survives. Our target must not be to survive but to encounter poverty and we will be automatically successful."

"Don't allow the pressure of those eating their harvest make you eat your seed."

"A caterpillar is a slow walker but it keeps moving until it finds a right season that helps it turns into a butterfly. Even you no matter what you are going through don't quit joy is coming,change places, do things over and over again until you find a right season that will make you hetch into a butterfly and fly better."

"In order for you to move forward you need to be surrounded by people with vision not with emotions, you need the by side with solutions not with issues. With Netumbo as your vise president you will have vision and solutions by your side to enable you move forward in life."

"You will not reach your destination when you don't know where you are going, you must have fixed thoughts for you to reach your goals. With Netumbo as your vise president targets will be time framed for evaluation into better path,we will raise and fly together."

"Women have taken up their place in the world. Let us continue to embrace equity and shape a world where every woman is empowered to use her capacity to it’s potential."

"Namibia has enough rainfalls to sustain us long into the future. We will manage the rainwater stopping the drought flood cycle so bio-diversity can flourish and all regions can grow Health food."

"We will prioritise finding long lasting solutions to Ancestral lands and issues of land justice ensuring no communities are left behind. Transparency and integrity will be upheld . We will also protect eco-systems and promote food resiliency"

"Safe housing,electricity,a toilet and running water are basic human rights. We will build sustainable low cost housing boosting manufacturing and employment."

"Everyone should be entitled to quality healthcare no matter what their budget. We will increase training opportunities and improve hospitals and health centres and access to quality care"

"We will set up industry to maximise Namibia's abundant Natural resources, keeping the wealth within the country creating diverse training and employment opportunities"

"We want to unlock the potential of every Namibians through access to foal and informal training opportunities developing the skills,capacity, citizenship and sovereignty of our brave Nation"

"I think as Namibians we have very challenging times where as the individual we need to create our own script. How do I want to live? How do I want to contribute"

"Finally, Madam President, Namibia hopes that this Dialogue should not be an end in itself but a beginning of multilateral discussions that will help the international community to find solution to this challenge. This Dialogue should also look at the capacity of the receiving State with the view to helping it to better manage the challenge posed by migration. In this regard, the need for technical and humanitarian assistance for the developing countries should be recognized and addressed. In this context, Namibia welcomes and supports the proposal of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to establish an International Forum for Dialogue on Migration and Development."

"One of the recommendations of the comprehensive study done by the Global Commission on International Migration calls for bilateral agreements as a means of addressing migration issues that affect two States. In this regard, Namibia has Agreements with our neighbours, Angola and Zambia, to allow communities living along the common border – free movement within limited distance inside each country – with the simple requirement of a border pass. These arrangements encourage cross border time, cultural exchanges and harmonious relations between and among States."

"Namibia along with other African countries has been reviewing legal and normative frameworks to promote safe and managed migration. An important guiding instrument is the SADC Protocol on Facilitation of Movements of Persons and Goods. This instrument however, needs to be buttressed by good practices."

"Some migration is fuelled by instability and uncertainty – while many are searching for places where the economic and social conditions are better. Others are simply searching for a place where they can be safe. In the Southern African region the asylum/migration nexus is an increasing problem. Over the last decade and a half or so, Southern Africa was transformed from a sending to a receiving region. Namibia – with its long history of support from the United Nations and its own experiences of exile -continues to respect the institution of asylum and refugee rights. At the same time, we are also seeking to promote voluntary repatriation of those refugees who can return to countries where stability and peace now have returned. In the near future we will also look at the issue of local integration for a tobe-determined number of refugees – long-stayers who no longer have ties to their countries of origin or are unable to return for other reasons, and who can contribute to our national development objectives."

"We recognise the positive effects that migration can have on economic development of both the countries of origin and the countries of destination. However, we are convinced that the migration of skilled persons presents a drain to the country of origin because it looses the investment made in their training. We therefore hope that this High-level Dialogue will provide us with best ideas that will help us formulate policy guidelines that ensure that brain gain in some countries does not mean brain drain in others. In this regard, we recognize the need for more cooperation between States and nonState actors in maximising development benefits derived from Migration. We welcome the participation of the private sector, non-governmental organisations and civil society in this Dialogue."

"We are realists and therefore recognize that an immigration policy in today's world should also address security concerns of both receiving states and migrants. We will need to find ways to ensure that state security and the obligations to guarantee social, economic, security and safety to its citizens are not compromised."

"The foundation of Namibian immigration policy is our desire to promote development with equity and to manage migration in order to ensure that it contributes to our over-all development objectives and does not undermine the progress we have made so far. We are, therefore, seeking to attract sustainable and suitable investment into the country, importation of specific skills and their transfer to Namibians. We also believe that those who come can learn new skills from us that they will eventually take with them."

"Therefore, responses to migration must be comprehensive, contextually appropriate and cognizant of both the contribution and effects of migration to development, security and political stability. It is equally important to take into consideration that the majority of migrants worldwide are women and in many places they outnumber male migrants. Gender inequality contributes to the forced migration of women and girls and also to their trafficking."

"Migration is multi-faceted and complex, affecting and being affected by human security, economic, social and political developments, gender inequality as well as many other processes."

"My delegation is very pleased to participate in this High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development. This important forum offers Member States an opportunity to address one of the global challenges facing the world today, the international migration. We welcome the opportunity to discuss and reflect more on these issues which have both common and also different implications for our countries and indeed for the world at large. In this regard, Namibia reiterates its full support for the African Common Position on Migration and Development adopted in Banjul"

"Allow me, on behalf of my delegation, to congratulate you on your election as President of the 61st Session of the General Assembly. I would like to assure you, Madam President, of my delegation's full support and cooperation."

"Homosexuals were responsible for the HIV and AIDS pandemic"

"What if it is said we as women sleep with a leader, this is destructive for us women"

"I rise as a straight woman"

"Go and do that, I am a lawmaker and you do not have a foot to stand on. I have paid up lawyers with Legal Shield"

"I contacted a lawyer at Sisa Namandje, and Mungunda was served a summons, but did not defend herself. Instead, she visited the office asking to pay N$500 per month."

"I am currently unemployed and unable to pay back the full amount, so I have reached out to her lawyers to agree on a monthly settlement of N$500 per month from April 2023"

"Allow me to thank the FES, the organisers of this workshop, for the job well done. I certainly hope this interaction will continue, and that you come up with recommendations that will eventually help us reach our target of 30% representation by women at the forthcoming parliamentary elections. For the visitors, I welcome you all, and at the same time I wish to invite you to take some time off from your busy schedules and explore the beauty of our country and its friendly people."