San women stand up

The ongoing multiple human rights abuses suffered by San communities, and particularly San women and children, across Namibia was the main focus during a consultation and training workshop led by the Women's Leadership Centre (WLC) in the Omaheke Region last week.

The women point out that compared to their peers of different ethnicities, young San women experience the highest levels of stigmatisation and discrimination in core areas of life, including education, employment and health.

“The inequalities we experience can be seen in the extreme poverty, lack of land, lack of resources and sustainable livelihoods, high levels of domestic violence, high rates of TB, malaria as well as HIV and Aids, high levels of illiteracy in our indigenous languages as well as in English, early marriages and motherhood with high rates of maternal and child mortality, incomplete formal education and the lack of further education and vocational training opportunities for young women.”

Research by the WLC found further that the majority of San women are not aware what their rights are, including legal rights and how to claim those rights.

“An enormous gap thus exists between women's rights laws on paper and the gender discrimination, racial discrimination and social exclusion in our daily lives.”

As reported by Nampa, testimony delivered by San women and others during the workshop highlighted some of the specific problems faced by San communities, including lack of access to education, safety and basic sanitation.



The lack of basics

A large number of San in Omaheke make use of pit latrines, or plastic bags, to relieve themselves in informal areas, which puts mothers, the young and the elderly, at risk.

Caroline Doeses told participants that women often resort to plastic bags instead of exposing themselves to the risk of searching for a pit latrine during the night.

“Imagine waking up in the middle of the night to relieve herself so far from her home, as the toilets are far and few between. It is not easy,” Doeses said.

Others highlighted the challenges posed by lack of education and lack of jobs in San communities.

San chief Frederick Langman, as reported by Nampa, said the economic situation of his people has reached alarming levels and needs to be addressed urgently.

Unemployment has devastating ripple effects, Langman said, including pushing communities into alcohol abuse.

He said many San have not yet experienced the “benefits of independence. I know government is doing a lot for us, but the effects of unemployment on my people are adverse and real.”

Maria Garises was quoted as saying that many San do not obtain high school qualifications, and should be given more opportunities of jobs including gardening and domestic positions.

“We need to assist each other as Namibians; San people are gifted in many areas and can be used as handymen and domestic helpers.”

On the other hand, police Sergeant Lina Mbinga of the Gender-Based Violence Investigation Unit said a large number of San women are reluctant to open criminal cases against abusive partners, or withdraw cases.

She said cases of grievous bodily harm tops the list of cases reported by women, but are often withdrawn.

She further said women are reluctant to address child maintenance, as men often threaten to remove the children from their care.



Rights whittled away

The two-day workshop was attended by San women and leadership from nine locations in the region in response to, and centred on, educating the community on the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

The event was focused on educating participants on their rights and to provide a platform to share their experiences on human rights violations through discrimination, humiliation, marginalisation and exclusion “by staff of government agencies, including health, education and the police”.

At the conclusion of the workshop participants agreed to work together with the WLC in conducting research for an NGO shadow report on the situation of young San women in Namibia to the CEDAW committee.

The booklet highlighted while all San in Namibia experience similar forms of discrimination and human rights violations, San girls and women experience additional violations because of their gender.

And, whereas in the past, traditionally San women thrived in a more equal culture this changed “fundamentally” through a number of factors, including colonisation, apartheid and militarisation.

Patriarchal values replaced old values and led to the loss of San cultural identity, which is “creating a profound sense of isolation, alienation and generational trauma”.

In a speech delivered on his behalf last week, Omaheke governor Festus Ueitele said many Namibians “do not see the San people as equal to others, which has a serious impact on the lives of San women and girls. We need to educate our people more on human rights.”

He said Namibians should deeply reflect on how to improve the lives of marginalised groups and help them become equal citizens.

JANA-MARI SMITH