Letter to president Hifikepunye Pohamba.At a meeting with the National Executive Committee of the Namibian NGO NGO abbr. nongovernmental organization Noun 1. NGO - an organization that is not part of the local or state or federal government nongovernmental organization Forum (NANGOF NANGOF Namibia Non-Governmental Organisations Forum ) on 7 October 2005, you asked for suggestions to curb the appalling escalating phenomenon of violence against women and children. The NANGOF Gender Sector warmly welcomes your concern about this matter. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This pandemic pandemic /pan·dem·ic/ (pan-dem´ik) 1. a widespread epidemic of a disease. 2. widely epidemic. pan·dem·ic adj. Epidemic over a wide geographic area. n. will not abate abate v. to do away with a problem, such as a public or private nuisance or some structure built contrary to public policy. This can include dikes which illegally direct water onto a neighbors property, high volume noise from a rock band or a factory, an improvement in Namibia without serious action and investment. As the budget is now open for discussion we hope that you will take the opportunity to consider the following proposals and prioritise Verb 1. prioritise - assign a priority to; "we have too many things to do and must prioritize" prioritize grade, rate, rank, place, range, order - assign a rank or rating to; "how would you rank these students?"; "The restaurant is rated highly in the food mechanisms to safeguard the lives and well-being of women and children in Namibia. Namibia has passed some excellent laws aimed at advancing sexual equality and combating gender-based violence. We have the Married Persons Equality Act, the Combating of Rape Act, the Combating of Domestic Violence Act, provisions to protect widows in the Communal Land Communal land: The term communal land in Zimbabwe refers to certain rural areas within Zimbabwe. Communal lands were formerly called Tribal Trust Lands (TTL's). Subsistence farming and small scale commercial farming are the principal economic activities in communal lands, Reform Act, procedures to make court appearance easier for vulnerable witnesses in the Criminal Procedure Amendment Act--just to name a few. But violent crimes against women and children show no signs of abating. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] One problem is that some of Namibia's landmark new laws New Laws: see Las Casas, Bartolomé de. are not yet well-implemented in practice. Urgent attention must be given to making the new laws into living laws instead of just paper tigers paper tiger n. One that is seemingly dangerous and powerful but is in fact timid and weak: "They are paper tigers, weak and indecisive" Frederick Forsyth. Noun 1. . Here are suggestions for improving implementation: * On domestic violence, we recommend that more police and court resources be devoted to assisting complainants to obtain protection orders which are designed to prevent future violence in the family. * Public education campaigns on how to use the domestic violence law, and on what to do in the aftermath of a rape, should be intensified in·ten·si·fy v. in·ten·si·fied, in·ten·si·fy·ing, in·ten·si·fies v.tr. 1. To make intense or more intense: . This should include information on PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is any prophylactic treatment started immediately after exposure to a disease (such as a disease-causing virus), in order to prevent the disease from breaking out. to reduce the chances of HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. infection) and the importance of obtaining it as quickly as possible after a rape. * On rape and domestic violence, we recommend the provision of more child-friendly court facilities, such as those in Katutura and under construction in Oshakati. * There is a need for intensified training of prosecutors and presiding officers Noun 1. presiding officer - the leader of a group meeting leader - a person who rules or guides or inspires others moderator - someone who presides over a forum or debate on the legal provisions designed to reduce the trauma of court appearances for vulnerable witnesses. * Fears about being able to maintain children often keep women in violent relationships. Therefore, effective implementation of the Maintenance Act is also crucial to breaking the cycle of violence. For example, the Act provides for the appointment of maintenance investigators to trace unsupportive parents and their assets, but not a single such investigator has been appointed anywhere in Namibia as yet. There is also a need for intensified training of maintenance officers and presiding officers on how to use the new civil enforcement methods to ensure that children receive support. The Legal Assistance Centre is in the process of conducting systematic studies of the operation of these three laws The Three Laws may refer to:
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Some people have called for heavier sentences in crimes of gender-based violence. There are already heavy minimum sentences for rape in the Combating of Rape Act. The new Criminal Procedure Act of 2004 (which has been passed but not yet brought into action) goes farther, setting life imprisonment Imprisonment See also Isolation. Alcatraz Island former federal maximum security penitentiary, near San Francisco; “escapeproof.” [Am. Hist.: Flexner, 218] Altmark, the German prison ship in World War II. [Br. Hist. as the minimum sentence for the most serious cases of murder and rape. But the prospect of heavy sentences has not deterred rapists. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] We recommend a focus on increased conviction rates rather than increased punishment. Punishments do not have any deterrent effect if perpetrators think that they are unlikely to be caught and even less likely to be convicted. And yet it seems that many offenders now go free, because of slow police investigations or poor medical evidence or long delays in finalising court cases. We suggest the following measures to improve conviction rates: * To ensure that more resources are devoted to obtaining convictions in rape and domestic violence cases, make specific budgetary allocations to police and prosecutors for work on cases involving gender-based violence. * Provide intensified training for police, prosecutors and magistrates on the laws on rape and domestic violence, as well as on specialised investigation and prosecution techniques to use in such cases. * Increase the number of specialised police, prosecutors and magistrates in various regions who are equipped to deal with such cases effectively and sensitively. * Initiate a campaign backed up by appropriate sanctions Sanctions is the plural of sanction. Depending on context, a sanction can be either a punishment or a permission. The word is a contronym. Sanctions involving countries: * Institute a fast-tracking system which gives cases of gender-based violence priority in police investigations and on the court roll, especially where children are involved. * Devote more police resources to protecting the safety of persons who lay charges in cases of gender-based violence. * Provide special assistance to persons in remote rural areas who may be suffering from gender-based violence, such as the provision of telephones within reasonable distances, increased availability of transport to police and clinics, and the mobilisation n. 1. Mobilization. Noun 1. mobilisation - act of marshaling and organizing and making ready for use or action; "mobilization of the country's economic resources" mobilization of traditional leaders to provide appropriate assistance and support. Another problem is that victims of gender-based violence sometimes withdraw charges, because of fear or intimidation. To counter this problem, we recommend the establishment of a Victim Support Programme. Such a programme could be staffed primarily by trained volunteers who could provide information and support for victims, under the supervision of the Office of the Prosecutor-General. This would help to keep victims from losing courage as the criminal case progresses, thus reducing case withdrawals and possibly increasing the conviction rate. It would also reduce some of the trauma associated with court appearances. Several other countries have successfully instituted programmes to support victims in this way. We believe that such a service could be established in Namibia at a very low cost, and that it would be of great practical assistance to violence victims. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Another helpful intervention would be diversion programmes for first-time offenders in domestic violence cases where there is no serious injury. Instead of proceeding to trial, the accused could agree to participate in an appropriate treatment or counselling programme. This could be combined with assistance for alcohol and drug abuse in appropriate cases. The availability of this option should depend on the circumstances of the case, taking the victim's wishes into account. The goal would be to emphasise rehabilitation rehabilitation: see physical therapy. and prevention in appropriate cases, in light of the fact that some victims want help for the perpetrator A term commonly used by law enforcement officers to designate a person who actually commits a crime. rather than punishment. It was reported at a recent conference of the Woman and Child Protection Units that a project of this nature in Oshikoto Region Oshikoto is one of the thirteen regions of Namibia. The northern part of the region is agricultural, whereas the main economic activities in the southern part are cattle rearing and mining. has already had some success. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The prevention of gender-based violence should be our highest priority. But prevention efforts are hampered by the fact that we currently do not have enough information on the causes of violence in Namibia. People cite the hopelessness hopelessness Psychology Bleak expectations, usually about oneself or one's future. See Depression. of poverty, the influence of alcohol and Namibia's violent past, but we do not yet understand why such factors lead to violence in some men but not others. A few studies on this topic are already underway. However, we suggest that government should initiate a comprehensive, nation-wide, in-depth study of the causes of violence in Namibia. This might give us guidance on how to move from a "culture of violence" to a "culture of care". [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When it comes to prevention, we believe that it is important to start with our youth. We recommend the incorporation of units on gender equality and gender-based violence into the school curricula at all levels, starting from Grade One. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] And young men need role models. Young people will develop their values on the basis of what they see around them as being acceptable behaviour. Non-violent men need to stand up and be counted. NAMEC and the White Ribbon Campaign are already mobilising men against violence, but we need more men to show the way. We suggest an intense year-long campaign against violence led by Namibia's most prominent political leaders, sports stars, traditional leaders, church leaders and media personalities, initiated and organised by government. Parliament could lead the way. For example, every MP could make a pledge as to what he or she will personally do from Women's Day Women's Day may refer to:
We also suggest that NBC NBC in full National Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. commercial broadcasting company. It was formed in 1926 by RCA Corp., General Electric Co. (GE), and Westinghouse and was the first U.S. company to operate a broadcast network. be requested to show films with anti-violence messages. The documentary series on domestic violence produced by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare in conjunction with UNICEF UNICEF (y  `nĭsĕf'), the United Nations Children's Fund, an affiliated agency of the United Nations. has already being screened. But we need to
engage hearts as well as minds. There are some excellent films produced
in Africa and elsewhere which contain powerful anti-violence messages.
We suggest an NBC anti-violence film festival which could help to
inspire the public towards less violent behaviour.
If you have any questions regarding these proposals and would like to meet with the NANGOF Gender Sector to discuss them, please do not hesitate to contact me. Yours respectfully re·spect·ful adj. Showing or marked by proper respect. re·spect  ful·ly adv. and sincerely
Dianne Hubbard on behalf of the NANGOF Gender Sector Your Excellency From the NANGOF Gender Sector, March 2006 Re: Request to NANGOF for mechanisms to curb the phenomenon of violence against women and children |
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