Patience Makwele
SWAPO secretary general Sophia Shaningwa has called for greater economic empowerment of women, saying Namibia’s political independence will remain incomplete unless women are fully integrated into the country’s economy.
Shaningwa made the remarks while addressing the swapo party Women’s Council Ohangwena regional annual seminar held in Okongo in Ohangwena over the weekend under the theme “Assessing the Economic Activities of Namibian Women.”
She said although Namibia has made significant progress in advancing women’s participation in politics and leadership, more must be done to ensure women have access to economic opportunities, finance, skills development and sustainable livelihoods.
“Our political independence remains incomplete without the economic emancipation of women,” Shaningwa said.
She described the annual seminar as an important platform for strengthening party structures, empowering women and equipping them with the knowledge and resources needed to effectively implement programmes at grassroots level.
According to Shaningwa, the gathering brought together women from different districts to discuss the challenges affecting their economic activities, exchange ideas and identify practical solutions to improve their participation in the economy.
She said the swapo party women’s council has an important role to play in advancing Namibia’s socio-economic development by promoting the economic emancipation of women.
Shaningwa also reaffirmed the party’s commitment to its 50/50 gender representation policy, describing it as a major milestone that has enabled women to participate meaningfully in leadership and decision-making processes.
Political commentator Grace Malala Sinyepe said Namibia’s conversation on women’s empowerment has shifted beyond representation in political structures to whether women are experiencing meaningful economic change.
“The conversation around women’s empowerment has evolved. While Namibia has made significant progress in terms of women’s representation in political and decision-making spaces, the question now is whether that representation is translating into economic independence for ordinary women,” she said.
Sinyepe said political inclusion remains important but noted that women also need greater access to capital, markets, skills development and opportunities to participate meaningfully in the economy.
“The challenge is moving from policies and commitments on paper to measurable outcomes that improve the lives of women, particularly those in rural areas who continue to face barriers such as limited access to finance, land, technology and business networks,” she added.
Political analyst and commentator Joubert Harushando said political empowerment and economic empowerment should complement one another if Namibia is to achieve inclusive development.
“Namibia’s experience shows that political empowerment and economic empowerment are two sides of the same coin. Having women represented in leadership positions creates visibility and influence but the real measure of empowerment is whether women are able to own businesses, create jobs and participate equally in economic growth,” he said.
Harushando said the next phase of women’s empowerment should focus on creating an environment in which women become active drivers of economic growth rather than beneficiaries of empowerment initiatives.
“The focus should now shift towards creating an enabling environment where women are not only beneficiaries of economic programmes but active drivers of development. This requires stronger collaboration between government, private sector and communities to remove structural barriers that prevent women from reaching their full economic potential,” he said.
The seminar formed part of the party’s women’s council’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its structures while encouraging women to play a greater role in Namibia’s economic transformation through entrepreneurship, leadership and sustainable economic participation.
