Countrywide campaign against GBV

A national priority
Claudia Reiter
  • 1 Day Ago - 2025-06-06 13:33:00
With an urgent appeal to politicians, society, and every individual, Namibia has launched a comprehensive national campaign to combat gender-based violence (GBV). Under the motto "End GBV Namibia," the campaign aims to raise nationwide awareness and implement concrete measures to sustainably combat violence against women and children.
At the official launch of the campaign, gender minister Emma Kantema-Gaomas spoke of an "alarming situation" – almost one in three women between the ages of 15 and 49 have experienced physical violence from a partner. Last year, more than 4 400 cases of GBV were reported to the police, including over 1 300 cases of physical abuse.
"These figures represent the suffering and trauma that thousands of women experience every day. GBV is destroying our communities and robbing our nation of its dignity, peace and progress," said Kantema. The minister called for joint action by the government, community representatives, families and individuals: "Ending GBV is not a women's issue – it is a national priority."
The campaign launch was accompanied by a symbolic solidarity rally, which took the form of a march down Independence Avenue in Windhoek.
The First Spouse, Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah, also expressed concern. He criticised the fact that many men deny the reality of GBV and had barely participated in the campaign launch. "How do we expect to solve this problem if we don't even acknowledge it?" he asked. Ndaitwah called on men in particular to take responsibility and actively participate in combating violence. "We can only defeat GBV together," he emphasised.
The campaign is jointly led by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Protection and the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology and supported by GIZ as part of the "Partnerships for Prevention of GBV in Southern Africa" ​​project. The aim is not only to raise public awareness, but also to expand concrete support services such as shelters, psychosocial support and legal advice.