Fighting gender-based violence (GBV)
While in many societies women have achieved a great deal of equality and freedom to define who they are rather than be defined by the expectation of others, endemic patterns of oppression and repression continue to exist even within the same societies.
Violence against women is still common everywhere. We know, for instance, that a women’s class, social status, level of professional achievement, race, religion or cultural heritage will neither protect her nor make her more vulnerable to experiencing violence within her intimate relationship, or from rape, verbal and psychological harassment – which are also forms of violence that occur in a workplace, home or on the street.
Most Namibians condemn wife beating
While a majority of Namibians say nothing justifies a man beating a woman, men and rural communities are more prone to hold the belief that a beating is sometimes justified.
The latest Afrobarometer results released by the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) found that 84% of Namibians believe it is never justified for a man to beat his wife.
Most Namibians also believe that the government is waging a robust and effective war against gender-based violence, according to the survey.
