Oshakati unites against gender violence

A group of Oshakati men are preparing to host the Eembenzi (Beard) festival, in order to raise awareness about the battle against gender-based violence.The one-day event is slated for 22 September at the town and is aimed at re-emphasising the role of men when it comes to protecting society's most vulnerable.The festival's preparatory committee held a media briefing at Oshakati this week, where it was announced it will be a fun day during which men from all walks of life will share information on the fight against gender violence.Committee spokesperson, a respected businessman and former radio presenter Remind Ekandjo said due to the ever-increasing bases of gender violence, mostly perpetrated by men, they decided to host the festival to remind men of their natural responsibilities in the community.“We decided to host a fun day to raise awareness and promote the importance of being men in the society. Since we are expecting many men to attend, we therefore would like to make use of that opportunity to educate men on issues of prostate cancer, male circumcision and GBV,” Ekandjo said.“We would like as many men to come together and share information on our primary role in society and how we can stop or reduce GBV against women and children.”He said the event will be a major confidence booster for men, hence the name Beard festival.“Therefore, we are planning to raise awareness on the importance of men in the society. During that particular day we are going to promote the healthiness of beards, while we will also touch on good health. There will be health professionals from Ongwediva Medipark, who will educate us on issues of prostate cancer.”Activities include a beard competition, haircut training, a mini exhibition on beard products, information about the importance of beards and many more. Ekandjo said the beard competition will encourage men to register and take part in three categories - long beard, thick beard and styled beard. This competition is sponsored to the tune of N$15 000 and the three category winners will each walk away with N$5 000.Entry to the festival, which will take place in front of the LG Restaurant in Oshakati, is free.Festivities will kick off at 10:00.Distell Namibia, Namibia Breweries Limited, Meatco, the Oshakati Cold Storage and Metro have all come on board as sponsors.

Oshakati unites against gender violence

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-01

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Oshakati unites against gender violence

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-01

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