#ShutItAllDown public hearings start August

Former lawmaker and advocate for women&#039;s and children&#039;s rights, Rosa Namises, has called on President Hage Geingob to urgently intervene in what she described as an "all-out war" against women and children in Namibia.Namises also implored Namibians to take a firm stand against the increasing number of rapes, abuse and murders of children and women and not be swayed by the empty promises of politicians."There is a war against women and children. I even told Hage before. When communities and society appeal to those in power, they should not see it as a challenge to their weaknesses and imperfections but recognise that we are in trouble and we are genuinely looking for help. We are in pain, and we are proposing a solution by calling for a state of emergency," said Namises.Concerns raisedShe also questioned the churches’ silence concerning the escalating crimes against women and children in the country and pointed out their prioritisation of protesting other matters instead of addressing the crisis of gender-based violence.She further accused politicians of exploiting the situation with empty promises during election campaigns. "I am so disappointed even in the church – I was so surprised that they could actually protest and hold press conferences when they opposed same-sex marriages, but they have not done the same for the plight of women and children," she said."Government has failed women and children, and instead politicians are using their situation to wait for election campaigns to make promises that will never be delivered," she added.Hearings to commenceHer call comes in the wake of a petition presented to the National Assembly in 2020 by the &#039;Shut It All Down&#039; movement, which called for a state of emergency to be declared due to the surge in gender-based violence.Parliament, which has dragged its feet in response to the petition, recently announced it will hold public hearings in August on the issues raised by the petition and protest movement. Lydia Kandetu, executive director of the National Assembly, confirmed the public hearings. She said after careful consideration, the petition was referred to the parliamentary standing committee for gender equality, social development and family affairs in April 2021.Delays explained According to her, the committee dedicated extensive discussions to the matter in September 2021, acknowledging the urgency of the issues raised by the activists. Nevertheless, the matter was postponed because of public hearings on abortion at the time. "Public hearings on the petition will start next week. We will keep the media posted on the programme and the consultation with stakeholders and the public," she said."The petition was considered and discussed by the committee in September 2021. Due to the abortion petitions being considered and public hearings being conducted by the same committee, public hearings on the #ShutItAllDown petition will commence from 6 to 12 August 2023, starting in the Omusati, Oshana, Ohangwena and Oshikoto regions," she confirmed.jemima@namibiansun.com

#ShutItAllDown public hearings start August

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Namibian Sun 2026-01-28

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#ShutItAllDown public hearings start August

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Namibian Sun 2026-01-28

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