Swakopmund community marches against GBV

SWAKOPMUND, 09 NOV (NAMPA) – A group of Swakopmund community members on Friday held a silent march against gender-based violence (GBV).
The march which was initiated by community member Tasneem Ochs and was aimed at creating awareness about the effects of GBV and to call on people experiencing it to come out and talk about it.
“This march is not just necessarily about the recent murder of Lindie Prinsloo, but also for every other GBV victim and those trapped in abusive relationships,” Ochs told members the media.
She said she plans on mobilising people in other towns in the region to march against gender-based violence at least once a month.
Erongo Governor Cleophas Mutjavikua at a different platform in the town said people should stop treating gender-based violence as a private matter and ignore it because it is considered as being “part of culture.”
“I am urging everyone to continue spreading information to community members to speak out, report GBV cases and seek help,” he said.
The governor was speaking during the opening of a two-day workshop on GBV and human rights by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, which started on Thursday.
He added that gender-based violence is robbing Namibia of potential human resources, affecting Namibia’s development.
“We need to come up with specific strategies on how to tackle these evils in our region and country at large, and let us rally together to ensure that our communities live together in harmony.”
(NAMPA)