Namibian men are an endangered species: Geingob

WINDHOEK, 07 JUN  – President Hage Geingob has likened Namibian men to an “endangered species”, saying they have been overtaken by women on the academic front and in places of worship.
Geingob made these remarks Tuesday while accepting the 2017 African Excellence Award on Gender from the ‘Gender Is My Agenda Campaign’ (GIMAC) network.
While acknowledging the progress made by Namibia in addressing gender imbalances, he said Namibian men are slowly being left behind and it is a sad reality.
“These days you see young girls packing the church; it’s a good thing, but the boys are not there. When you go to graduation ceremonies you see young girls graduating; the men and the young boys are not there,” he said.
He added that when women get degrees, men feel threatened and resort to assaulting them.
This is of great concern to Geingob, who believes gender-based violence against women is perpetuated by men who lack confidence and feel threatened by the success of women.
The president said violence against women has reached worrying levels and is a matter of national concern.
“I think it is very bad here,” said Geingob.
Official statistics from the University of Namibia revealed that in the last four years, 7 870 female students graduated from the university in various courses, compared to only 4 573 male students.
In April this year, 1 159 female students graduated from the Namibia University of Science and Technology, compared to 882 males.
“Talk to the young men out there, we are facing a very serious situation in Namibia. We are an endangered species,” lamented Geingob.
On the GIMAC award, the president said more can be done to promote gender equality and women empowerment in Namibia.
He said gender equality in Namibia was not a mere slogan, “We breathe it, speak it and live it”.
“We do so, knowing well that men and women are peerless partners who are supplementary to one another,” he said.
Geingob, on behalf of his country, was rewarded for his efforts in establishing a legal and policy framework for the promotion and protection of women’s rights in Namibia.
GIMAC comprises 55 national and international organisations and aims to create a space for civil society to monitor the implementation of the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa, which promotes gender equality and women’s empowerment.
(NAMPA)