Swapo MP calls for better support for the boy child

Swapo member of parliament Willem Amutenya says Namibia's boy child is not visibly reflected in current empowerment initiatives despite significant budget allocations and rising social challenges affecting young men.

In line with this, he called for a restructuring of Namibia’s gender equality and child welfare programmes.

He stressed that his remarks were not meant to oppose women’s empowerment but to call for balance in how gender programmes are designed and measured. “This is not a rejection of the girl child,” he said. “It is a call for balance. I do not want to compete with my sister; I want to rise with her.”

His comments come against the backdrop of growing concern over men’s mental health in Namibia.

Amutenya raised his concerns during a debate on Budget Vote 36: Gender Equality and Child Welfare in the National Assembly last week, where he delivered an emotional contribution framed as a “love letter from a Namibian boy child” to gender equality and child welfare minister Emma Kantema.

Amutenya questioned whether boys and young men are meaningfully included in government programmes, despite a reported allocation of over N$25 million under the Promotion of Gender Equity and Empowerment of Women programme, which is intended to empower women, men, girls and boys.

He pointed to implementation figures from the programme, saying they show a clear imbalance.

He cited that 60 income-generating activities were supported, with a 70% allocation to women and 30% to men.

The MP further highlighted that 124 women entrepreneurs were trained under the Start and Improve Your Business model, while 31 women were trained in digital literacy and 29 women were supported in agriculture projects. “In all of these, I do not see myself,” he said.

“Where do I stand?” Amutenya asked, saying that although the programme is designed to be inclusive on paper, its implementation does not clearly reflect the boy child or young men as beneficiaries in a visible or structured way.

Serious mental health problems

According to figures shared by the ministry, Namibia recorded 542 suicide cases in the 2023/2024 reporting period, with 449 cases involving men, representing more than 82% of all reported suicides. The data further shows 80 suicides among women, eight boys and five girls.

Amutenya said these figures point to a silent crisis among men and boys, who are often expected to be emotionally strong while lacking adequate psychosocial support systems. He argued that many young men are left without structured counselling, economic opportunities, or safe spaces to address emotional distress.

Meanwhile, research from the African Development Bank’s 2025 Gender Brief places Namibia among Africa’s stronger performers in reducing gender inequality, driven by high education outcomes for women and increasing representation of women in leadership roles.

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