Meeting to thrash out gender violence: the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare is to hold Namibia's first-ever national conference on gender violence. This follows numerous calls for action.

On average, 2 000 cases of domestic violence are reported to the Namibian police each year. Research conducted by the ministry two years ago also found that there are about 600 rape cases and an additional 150 attempted rape cases reported annually. Experts believe that on average only one of 20 rapes that occur is reported to the police. This implies that 95 percent of all incidents go unnoticed or are resolved out of court.

Sirrka Ausiku, permanent secretary of the gender ministry, says 86 percent of the victims are female, while 14 percent are male. "Data clearly indicates that domestic violence is a gender-based crime in which men are the perpetrators (98%) and females are the survivors," Ausiku said.

The conference, scheduled for 2 to 6 July 2007, will attempt to formulate a common strategy that could be used in fighting these malevolent practices. Participants will be from the line ministries, churches, traditional authorities, the SADC region and some research institutions.

The causes of violence against women and children in the country include social, cultural and economic factors that place women at risk of violence within the home. According to Ausiku, alcohol is a contributing factor to violence. But research will still have to be conducted to determine how the level of stress in people and unemployment contribute to violence, she said.

The permanent secretary strongly condemned individuals who discourage survivors from reporting cases of violence, adding that perpetrators are likely to repeat the very acts of violence hence creating an "unstable" society.

From "Meeting to Thrash out Violence", New Era, 21 February 2007