Amid women’s progress, GBV alarms
Despite widespread recognition of efforts to promote gender equality in all sectors of Namibian society, the steep rate of violence against women and children continues to alarm most Namibians.A review of women-related perceptions from the 2021 / 2022 Afrobarometer survey in Namibia titled ‘Amid progress on women’s rights, Namibians see gender-based violence (GBV) as a priority issue to address’, concludes that most Namibians are optimistic about work towards gender equality in the country.
However, violence against women and children continues to be a major concern.
“Namibians say that violence against women is a common problem and constitutes the most important women’s-rights issue that government and society should address.”
Statistics released by the police in 2020, showed that between September 2019 and September 2020, over 5 000 cases of gender-based violence, 800 cases of rape and 74 femicides were reported countrywide.
The Afrobarometer dispatch further notes that “despite the government’s efforts, gender equality remains a goal rather than a reality, and some analysts point to reports of increased GBV during the COVID-19 pandemic as evidence of a ‘shadow pandemic’”.
Most Namibians (61%) say the government is doing a fairly or very good job to promote equal rights and opportunities for women, but just over 40% felt the government should do more to promote rights and opportunities for women.
Violent alarm
The findings show women are more likely than men to cite GBV as a priority (56% vs. 47%), and that almost six out of ten Namibians (58%) believe violence against women is a very to somewhat frequent occurrence in their communities.
An equal number of Namibians (58%) say men are never justified to physically abuse their wives, but four in ten Namibians still believe men are ‘sometimes’ or ‘always’ justified to physically discipline female partners.
Women are somewhat less likely than men to rule out physical discipline as never justified - 56% vs. 60%
The view that men are never justified in physically disciplining their wives gathers strength with education levels, ranging from 48% of those with no formal schooling to 63% of those with post-secondary qualifications.
Most Namibians (82%) have faith that the police are likely to take reports of GBV seriously, and a large number (73%) believe domestic violence should be treated as a criminal matter.
However, the survey highlighted that only a third of Namibians say it is unlikely a woman will be criticized, harassed or shamed for reporting a case of rape, domestic violence or other forms of GBV.
More than four in ten Namibians say it is somewhat or very likely.
“These perceptions – whether accurate or not – may serve as a significant deterrent to reporting GBV,” the authors of the Afrobarometer dispatch warn.
Equality
“While GBV is on the public’s front burner in terms of issues affecting women, the long struggle for gender equality continues on many other fronts,” the dispatch, co-authored by Christiaan Keulder and Kelechi Amakoh, stated.
Overall, a majority of Namibians approve of the government’s performance in promoting equal rights and opportunities for women, although many say greater efforts are needed.
A strong majority (84%) of Namibians support women’s rights in employment, land ownership and political leadership.
Still, some worry that female candidates might suffer criticism, harassment, or family problems, the findings indicate.
Key findings highlighted by the report are that many Namibians rate educational achievement as close to gender-equal, with slightly more secondary schooling among women and slightly more post-secondary qualifications among men.
Women trail men slightly in control over certain assets (bank accounts, radios, motor vehicles) and in participation in household financial decisions.
Afrobarometer is a pan-African, nonpartisan survey research network that provides reliable data on African experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance, and quality of life. Eight rounds of surveys have been completed in up to 39 countries since 1999, including Namibia, and Round 9 surveys are currently underway.
The Afrobarometer team in Namibia, led by Survey Warehouse, interviewed a nationally representative, random, stratified probability sample of 1 200 adult Namibians in October- November 2021.