Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah underlined the necessity of reparative justice structures to address the injustices that African women had suffered historically.
When addressing the 63rd Pan-African Women’s Day celebrations in Windhoek, she elaborated the inhumanities of colonialism, slavery, apartheid, and imperialist exploitation, which had fatally harsh impacts on African women and their communities.
Namibia initiated its reparations journey 19 years ago after the Parliament passed a motion requiring Germany to confess the colonial-era genocide, which led to the death of Herero and Nama people, and provide reparations.
The government is still in talks with Germany while certain choices are made by representatives of the communities that are likely to be affected.
The President said that women are, in most cases, the primary victims of economic instability, and besides that, women get only limited access to good education, and unfortunately, they are also the perpetrators of gender-based violence.
She maintained that promoting women and girls by education, health, and economic opportunities is very necessary to be able to get social justice.
Moreover, Nandi-Ndaitwah gave full support to the Saharawi people and called upon the United Nations to apply the resolutions pertaining to the self-determination of Western Sahara.
She appealed to women’s organizations to do more advocacy work, for African Union gender protocols to be ratified, and that youth mental health and peace-building programs are prioritized.
