2015
- Public Procurement Act of 2015: Section 2(b) states that the Act’s objective is to promote the empowerment of women and other marginalised groups, and to provide preferential treatment in the allocation of procurement contracts[i]
2018
- Revised National Resettlement Policy 2018-2027: mentions women as a previously disadvantaged group to be prioritised in landal location[ii]
2019
- The gender equality ministry has partnered with UNWomen and the DeBeers Group to implement the programme for economic security for a period of three years (2017-2020). It aims to build the capacity of women micro-entrepreneurs through business and life skills training, as well as strengthening the capacity of Women in Business Associations (WBA)[iii]
- Female member of parliament attempts to amend Electoral Act of 2014 and the Legal Authorities Act of 1992 in compliance with Maputo Protocol Article9 (which Namibia ratified in 2003), to include a 50:50 gender policy for all political parties, but the motion is ill-received by theopposition[iv]
2020
- The Committee on Legislation approved a new marriage bill (to be tabled in Parliament in June 2021), which would make divorces more affordable and accessible, and make community of property the default doctrine for civil marriages[v]
References:
[i] Republic of Namibia, Public Procurement Act, 2015, Section 2(b).
[ii] Republic of Namibia, “Revised National Resettlement Policy 2018-2027 (3rd Draft)”, p.17.
[iii] The Namibian (2019), “Women-owned SMEs programme launched”.
[iv] Windhoek Express (2021), “Law seeks to make it easier to say ‘I don’t’”.
[v] The Namibian, “Maputo Protocol Discussion in NA”, 2019.