NEWS
NAMIBIAN EFFORTS AGAINST RAPE AND VIOLENCE

Contribution to the National Workshop on Developing a Plan of Action to Combat Violence against Women and Children

Windhoek, Namibia

April 9 to 12, 2001 (abridged by SpeakOut!)

As a representative of the Multimedia Campaign on Violence against Women and Children (MMC on VAWC) I today represent the Legal Assistance Centre, Women Solidarity, Namibia Women's Network, Childline/Lifeline, Sister Collective, the Rainbow Project, the Unit for Sexually Abused Children, The Walvis Bay Family and Child Centre and other organisations affiliated to the MMC. We have decided to consolidate our input to allow us to make a more positive contribution to this workshop.
The MMC serves as a national network for organisations working to address violence against women and children at various levels.
Some such as Women Support Women, CCN and Namibia Women's Network have opened shelters and safe houses for abused women, rape victims, street children and orphans. Catholic AIDS Action and others carried out comprehensive support programmes for people living with HIV/AIDS and their families. Karibib's Let's Help Each other group established an advice centre for abused women. LAC took up the initiative to research law reform and ti draft law reform documents.
Namibia in February 2000 made history when it became the first country worldwide to host a national conference on domestic violence for men. The official opening of the conference on February 23, which brought together over 300 people, was charged with an atmosphere of expectancy. This initiative was spearheaded by LAC with the support of the MMC and its affiliated members. Today we are proud to have regional committees of men who network with women's organisations.
The National Conference of Men against Violence against Women established a 28-member steering committee of volunteers aimed at mapping out and implementing strategies that could result in durable solutions to the problem of violence against women and children throughout the world. Since then the Namibia Men for Change (NAMEC) was established with regional committees networking with women's organisations.
Since the passage of the Rape Act, LAC is working together with the government to prepare rape protocols for police, social workers, magistrates, prosecutors and members of the medical profession. These guidelines are being developed by means of countrywide consultation with members of the professions in question and should encourage more effective implementation of the new law.
LAC has also prepared a simple-language guide to the Combating of Rape Act to raise public awareness of the new law. The MMC anticipates a similar process of inputs, lobbying and follow-up in respect of the forthcoming Domestic Violence Bill.
Interestingly, the statistics of some violent and sexual abuse crimes, which peaked in 1995 and 1996, showed a decline in 1997 and 1998. For instance in 1995 and 1996, 809 and 848 cases of rape were reported respectively. In 1997 there were 795 cases and in 1998 724 cases were reported to the police. A similar trend was seen in cases of common assault, whereas in cases of serious assault more cases were reported in 1997 but less in 1998.
The biggest constraints we face include:
: * That regional and local authorities, village councils and traditional authorities are not involved in this "national" workshop
* Intolerance in Namibia
* Violence on screen
* Exclusion of the private sector. (ends)

 

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