First Lady launches ‘We Are Equal’ campaign
Namibia became the first Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) member state to launch the #WeAreEqual campaign which aims to foster equality and inclusion, not only in Namibia but in Africa as a whole.
The Office of the First Lady on Thursday in a statement said the year-long campaign calls for urgent action to advance gender equity and close the gender gap in Africa and seeks to address various forms of discrimination, including gender inequality in the health, education, economic empowerment sectors and build a more inclusive Namibian society.
The First Lady, Monica Geingos said they will and they can launch in enough countries to reach 700 million Africans.
“One day I hope that in Namibia we will reach a point where all of us can be able to go to work and school, collect firewood, and even jog in our streets without fear,” she added.
Officiating the launch, Vice President, Dr Nangolo Mbumbu urged all stakeholders to support and participate in the campaign activities throughout the year.
“Let us work tirelessly to ensure that every girl has access to quality education and equal economic opportunities, every woman has the right to quality healthcare and every survivor of gender-based violence finds justice and support,” he added.
In a panel discussion on the day, Dr. Esther Kali noted that gender parity must start at a grass-roots level and highlighted the importance of asking ourselves what we are doing in our capacity to achieve gender equality.
“It starts with us at a grass-roots level. It is a collective effort that needs to be done by every,” she added.
