The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare is working on a revised plan of action to combat the ongoing gender-based violence (GBV) crisis.
This was Thursday morning at GBV’s National Training Resource Kit workshop for Swakopmund’s media practitioners, according to Lydia Indombo, executive director of the ministry.
This workshop was one of several gatherings on the topic of GBV this week. This includes a meeting on enhancing data collection and interpretation of such cases, coordinated by the Namibian Bureau of Statistics.
Indumbo explained that, according to a recent statement by Namibian police, there were 405 cases of GBV recorded between April 2024 and February 2025, of which 345 were rape cases.
“These numbers translate to the names of people we know, the names of people we are involved in, the neighbors, community members and innocent people,” Indumbo said.
She emphasized that the fight against GBV is more important than ever, especially in light of recent tragedy at Okahandja and Usakos.
“Let’s challenge the status quo, a cultural norm that perpetuates violence, supports survivors with empathy and dignity, and holds perpetrators accountable,” she said.
