NAMIBIA’S WOMAN MPS CLOSER TO THE GRASSROOTS, SAYS NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER

WINDHOEK, Namibia’s female Members of Parliament (MPs) are closer to the grassroots than their male counterparts and play a greater role in bringing gender-related matters to the fore, asserts National Assembly Speaker Peter Katjavivi.

Katjavivi, who made these remarks during the meeting of the Parliamentary Women Caucus and the Standing Committee for Gender Equality, Social Development and Family Affairs here Tuesday, highlighted the importance of women caucuses as they presented an opportunity for female legislators to discuss and advocate for women issues.

“It is also an advantage to form alliances to work with women to form caucuses in order to change certain aspects of law-making,” said Katjavivi, who noted that female MPs tended to enrich policy debates with a greater attachment to matters they feel will add value to the livelihoods of women and children and that women caucuses were created with the aim of increasing women’s impact on political decisions.

“It is generally believed that the building of cross-party caucuses can help provide the peer support necessary to gender equality legislative and policy agenda,” he said. ‘

Katjavivi stressed that the National Assembly attached great value to its Women Parliamentary Caucus as it brings together women from various political formations and from both houses of Parliament — the National Assembly and the National Council.

The caucus was attended by among others, former Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Gender Equality Minister Doreen Sioka, Deputy Minister of International Relations Christine Hoebes and the caucus chairperson, Eunice Iipinge.

Source: Nam News Network