Gender-based violence prevention and reduction workshop held in Keetmansoop

KEETMANSHOOP, SEPT. 7 – Close to 40 people attended a workshop on the Male Involvement in Gender Based Violence Prevention and Reduction programme in Keetmanshoop on Thursday.
The programme was started by Namibian Men for Gender Justice in partnership with Women’s for Action Development and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung to consolidate and regenerate efforts by key stakeholders in the fight against gender-based violence (GBV).
Speaking to Nampa after the one-day workshop, programme developer Junian Gaweseb said the workshop engaged various stakeholders to raise awareness of the programme and for stakeholders to give their input on how men can be more involved in GBV prevention and reduction.
Gaweseb said men are considered more as perpetrators when it comes to gender-based violence, but no one speaks to men to ask what causes such behaviour.
The programme also seeks to help men who are victims of GBV.
“Men who are victims of gender-based violence must speak out. Doing so is not being weak as it is currently labelled, speaking out is indeed a strength,” he said.
The same workshop was held in Walvis Bay, Swakopmund, Gobabis, Rosh Pinah and Lüderitz. It will also be held in Mariental, Rehoboth and Windhoek next week.
Speaking to Nampa, one of the participants, Michael Wimmerth, raised the concern that there is a lack of male involvement when it comes to the prevention and reduction of GBV.
“Men are not really involved in the fight against GBV as they like saying I will mind my own business, while many times they are part of the problem. Sometimes men suffer violence in their own homes and they are victims of gender-based violence, but they would rather keep quiet because of their egos,” he said.
The workshop was attended by representatives of different ministries, private companies and the community at large.
The Namibian Men for Gender Justice organisation was started in 2015 and focuses on innovative reduction, prevention and intervention programmes geared towards solving the high prevalence of GBV in Namibia.
NAMPA