Cascading the Centres of Excellence (COE) for gender mainstreaming in local government in Namibia

Republic of Namibia

Amount: € 346,797.00

Overview

The overall objective of the GenderLinks project in Namibia was to promote women’s equal representation, and gender mainstreaming in local government through the development of Centres of Excellence (COEs). Initiatives that were addressed included gender policies; action plans and campaigns to end gender violence; interventions to enhance women’s economic empowerment and disaster management. Although the programme targeted local government in general, the main beneficiaries were the women in the target localities whose lives have been changed by improved, more inclusive service delivery. This project promotes the Maputo Protocol on Women’s Rights and the AU’s Agenda 2063 aspiration for an Africa whose development is people-driven, especially relying on the potential offered by its youth and women and which ensures full gender equality in all spheres of life.

Key results

GenderLinks project in Namibia reached 420 and promoted women’s equal representation, and gender mainstreaming in local government through the development of Centres of Excellence (COEs) for gender sensitive service delivery.

• 30 community councils from 13 regions became Gender champions. They provided gender-responsive service delivery on GBVs, economic empowerment of women, care work and climate change.  Affirmative action was established to allow community women to participate in tender bidding and winning tenders. 
• 110 women from 10 different districts of Namibia were provided with the skills and on-the-job training which will enable them to be promoted into higher earning positions.
• 150 women from Namibia who were victims of Gender Based Violence (GBV) were empowered by the Centres of Excellence (COE’s) established by GenderLinks. The entrepreneurship and leadership skills training offered by the project provided the women with the capacities to take advantage of local economic development opportunities.
• Over 160 women in Namibia were trained to understand the nuances that surround standing for political office and were provided with the necessary skills to engage in political activities. Potential female political candidates from all of the 36 local government councils in Namibia were imbued with the necessary skills to mount realistic challenges for election. The aspiring female political candidates who underwent the training expressed that their skills for running for political office have been significantly improved.
• The legislation was discussed and passed among and within political parties in Namibia to increase the number of women who hold political office. The project's intervention contributed towards the majority political party, SWAPO, introducing a voluntary quota system, which aims for 50/50 representation within all of its governance structures. The fact that the majority political party adopted this legislation created a new baseline to which other political parties had to adapt