Enhancing women's empowerment
Gender equality and women empowerment should become essential dimensions of advancing human development in Namibia.
Namibia has a Gender Inequality Index (GI value) of 0.474, ranking it 108 out of 159 countries in the 2015 index.
In comparison, Botswana and South Africa are ranked at 95 and 90, respectively.
In Namibia, 37.7% of parliamentary seats are held by women, and 38.1% of adult women have reached at least a secondary level of education compared to 39.0% of men.
For every 100 000 births, 265 women die from pregnancy-related causes while the adolescent birth rate is 76.8 births per 1 000 women between the ages 15 to 19.
Meanwhile, female participation in the labour market in Namibia is 55.7% compared to 63.3% for men.
“It is necessary to redouble our efforts in eliminating violence against women, affording them good healthcare, and empowering them for better labour force participation,” Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said at the launch of the Global Human Development Report.
The theme of the report is 'Human Development for Everyone'.
According to Kuugongelwa-Amadhila this year's Human Development Report serves as a reminder of some of the greatest development challenges the world is facing.
She said Namibia had recorded progress since independence in many areas of socio-economic development.
“However, we cannot rest as long as there is someone going to bed hungry, as long as there are children not going to school and as long as mothers are dying in childbirth.”
She said that the country has to ensure that all Namibians, regardless of race, religion, gender or socio-economic status, can prosper.
According to her human development for everyone cannot be achieved if half of humanity is bypassed and if gender inequality and lack of women's empowerment remain challenges to global progress across all regions and groups.
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said that gender disparities in human development, while narrowing slowly, continued to prevail in all regions, particularly in low and medium human development countries.
She said according to the Gender Development Index (GDI), women consistently have a lower Human Development Index (HDI) values than men.
Even though women work longer hours than men, they face disadvantages in both paid and unpaid work. Women globally earn on average 24% less than men, and only occupy 24% of senior business positions.
“These statistics give us food for thought and action and they should not be used merely for academic debate and for quotes in research publications. What is important is how we use this information in our programming in the government and also within the UN. How does civil society use this information to empower communities and ensure their voice is heard?”
According to Kuugongelwa-Amadhila the optimal policy mix at the national level is deliberated to ensure people-centric inclusive and equitable human development, the critical factors must also identify that will catalyse action across a number of dimensions to unlock the country's potential.
ELLANIE SMIT
Namibia has a Gender Inequality Index (GI value) of 0.474, ranking it 108 out of 159 countries in the 2015 index.
In comparison, Botswana and South Africa are ranked at 95 and 90, respectively.
In Namibia, 37.7% of parliamentary seats are held by women, and 38.1% of adult women have reached at least a secondary level of education compared to 39.0% of men.
For every 100 000 births, 265 women die from pregnancy-related causes while the adolescent birth rate is 76.8 births per 1 000 women between the ages 15 to 19.
Meanwhile, female participation in the labour market in Namibia is 55.7% compared to 63.3% for men.
“It is necessary to redouble our efforts in eliminating violence against women, affording them good healthcare, and empowering them for better labour force participation,” Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said at the launch of the Global Human Development Report.
The theme of the report is 'Human Development for Everyone'.
According to Kuugongelwa-Amadhila this year's Human Development Report serves as a reminder of some of the greatest development challenges the world is facing.
She said Namibia had recorded progress since independence in many areas of socio-economic development.
“However, we cannot rest as long as there is someone going to bed hungry, as long as there are children not going to school and as long as mothers are dying in childbirth.”
She said that the country has to ensure that all Namibians, regardless of race, religion, gender or socio-economic status, can prosper.
According to her human development for everyone cannot be achieved if half of humanity is bypassed and if gender inequality and lack of women's empowerment remain challenges to global progress across all regions and groups.
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said that gender disparities in human development, while narrowing slowly, continued to prevail in all regions, particularly in low and medium human development countries.
She said according to the Gender Development Index (GDI), women consistently have a lower Human Development Index (HDI) values than men.
Even though women work longer hours than men, they face disadvantages in both paid and unpaid work. Women globally earn on average 24% less than men, and only occupy 24% of senior business positions.
“These statistics give us food for thought and action and they should not be used merely for academic debate and for quotes in research publications. What is important is how we use this information in our programming in the government and also within the UN. How does civil society use this information to empower communities and ensure their voice is heard?”
According to Kuugongelwa-Amadhila the optimal policy mix at the national level is deliberated to ensure people-centric inclusive and equitable human development, the critical factors must also identify that will catalyse action across a number of dimensions to unlock the country's potential.
ELLANIE SMIT
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