For years, public discourse in Namibia has rightly focused on empowering women and girls, correcting historical injustices and creating opportunities where barriers once existed. Those efforts have yielded remarkable gains. Today, women are excelling in schools, universities and many professional fields. This progress deserves recognition and celebration.
Yet, while the nation applauds these achievements, another reality is emerging quietly but alarmingly: Namibia’s boys are falling behind.
The warning delivered this week by First Gentleman Epaphras Ndaitwah during a community engagement in Katima Mulilo should not be dismissed as an isolated concern. It should be viewed as a national wake-up call.
The statistics are sobering.
At the University of Namibia’s 2025/26 graduation, women accounted for 64.6% of graduates, compared to just 35.4% men. At the Namibia University of Science and Technology, women made up around 60% of graduates. Of the 13 newly qualified doctors who graduated during the same period, only three were male.
These numbers do not represent healthy balance. Nor should they be interpreted as a competition between men and women. Rather, they reveal a widening gap that threatens the country’s future social and economic stability.
Even more concerning is what happens before young men ever reach university.
According to figures from the Ministry of Education, 8 720 boys dropped out of school in 2023 alone. Those statistics represent far more than learners leaving classrooms. They represent lost potential. Among them could have been future doctors, engineers, teachers, entrepreneurs, scientists and innovators who Namibia desperately needs.
Every country depends on the productive participation of all its citizens. When a significant portion of one gender becomes disconnected from education and opportunity, the consequences eventually ripple throughout society.
History has shown that societies with large numbers of unemployed, uneducated and socially alienated young men often experience increased crime, substance abuse, domestic violence and social instability. These are not inevitable outcomes, but they become far more likely when young people lose hope and purpose.
Namibia cannot afford to ignore this danger.
The crisis facing boys extends beyond education.
The First Gentleman also highlighted another deeply troubling statistic: more than 80% of suicides recorded in Namibia involve men. Police reports from 2023/24 show 542 male suicide deaths compared to 80 female deaths. Among children, eight boys took their own lives compared to five girls.
These figures point to profound emotional and psychological struggles among men and boys.
For generations, boys have been taught to suppress emotions, avoid vulnerability and carry burdens in silence. Many grow up believing that seeking help is a sign of weakness. The result is often depression, substance abuse and tragic outcomes that could have been prevented.
This is why the conversation initiated by the Office of the First Gentleman is both timely and necessary.
Acknowledging the challenges facing boys does not undermine the progress made by girls and women. Supporting boys should never be interpreted as reversing gender equality. Equality does not mean replacing one imbalance with another. It means ensuring that no one is left behind.
Namibia must resist the temptation to turn this issue into a gender debate. The success of women should not be viewed as the failure of men, just as addressing the struggles of boys should not be perceived as an attack on women’s empowerment.
Both realities can exist simultaneously.
The real question is why so many boys are disengaging from education and society.
Are schools failing to accommodate different learning needs? Are absent fathers contributing to the crisis? Is poverty forcing boys out of classrooms and into survival mode? Are substance abuse, peer pressure and social media influencing destructive behaviours? Why are boys increasingly disconnected from positive role models?
These are difficult questions, but they deserve honest answers.
Government alone cannot solve this challenge.
Parents, teachers, churches, traditional leaders, communities and the private sector all have a role to play. Fathers must become more present. Schools must identify vulnerable boys earlier. Communities must create mentorship programmes and safe spaces where young men can talk openly about their struggles.
Perhaps most importantly, society must restore purpose and hope.
Young boys need to believe that education matters. They need examples of responsible masculinity. They need guidance, discipline, encouragement and opportunities.
The First Gentleman’s initiative of promoting positive masculinity offers an important starting point. Masculinity should not be defined by aggression or dominance, but by responsibility, integrity, compassion and service to others.
The truth is uncomfortable but unavoidable: neglecting the boy-child is a ticking time bomb.
If current trends continue unchecked, Namibia risks producing a generation of young men who feel excluded, disconnected and hopeless. Such an outcome would have devastating consequences not only for men themselves, but for families, communities and the nation’s economy.
A country cannot prosper when half of its human capital is underperforming.
Namibia’s future depends on the success of both girls and boys.
The challenge before us is not choosing one over the other. It is ensuring that both have equal opportunities to thrive.
Because when boys fail, society eventually pays the price.
And by then, the cost may be far too high.
