SWAKOPMUND, Namibia, July 17 — Namibia has seen a decline in women’s representation in its parliament, with the current eighth Parliament seeing women holding 38 percent of seats in the National Assembly and 14 percent in the National Council.
This marks a notable decrease from the 7th Parliament, where women constituted 50 percent of the National Assembly, National Assembly Speaker Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila told a roundtable on women in politics and decision-making roles in the coastal city of Swakopmund on Wednesday.
“The sentiment from advocates is clear: The trajectory for women’s political representation should be upwards, not downwards,” she said in a statement.
According to the speaker, there is a growing emphasis on the urgent need to preserve the achievements made in prior parliamentary terms and also to implement measures that will further build upon them.
“This push highlights a crucial moment for Namibia to reinforce its commitment to gender equality in its governance structures,” Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said, noting that women have been occupying strategic positions in the Cabinet and parliament.
“We must ensure that this representation is impactful in terms of the influence that it brings to policy and lawmaking and transformation of society,” she added.
The roundtable was organized by Namibia‘s Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare in collaboration with the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. (Xinhua)
