News

On Thursday 7th April 2022, the Women’s Leadership Centre in partnership with the Embassy of Finland launched the new WLC project titled Reducing Family Violence in San Communities, which is being implemented by Community Leaders in six San communities in Namibia: Omega 1, Mu’ciku, Ndama, Tsintsabis, Drimiopsis and Skoonheid. During the week the Community Leaders received training on forms and types of family violence; the impact of family violence on people’s the lives; the causes, attitudes, behaviours and cultural norms that are driving family violence in San communities; conflict resolution skills; and strengthening cultural pride as a protective factor against violence.

The WLC Community facilitators hosted and facilitated 7 meetings in 7 villages each with the San girls, San women and the community over the past two months on imagining a better world, culture, heritage and on MOVING FROM LATERAL VIOLENCE TO LATERAL LOVING AND KINDNESS. We thank everyone in Drimiopsis, Omega 1, Mutjiku, Tsinsabis, Ndama, Corridor 17 and Witvlei who took part in this important process, the community facilitators whose leadership is fiercely developing and our partners Olof Palme International Center for making it possible to bring change to the lives of the indigenous communities in Namibia.

Earlier this month the WLC hosted a two-day women’s rights workshop with women from Katima Mulilo Urban. It was the first time we were meeting with women in town (outside the villages we are working in). We introduced the women to the work of the WLC and our programme, and we spoke about what #harmfulculturalpractices they still see and battle in their communities. We are grateful to the fierce and courageous women who own their truth and want to change the world for better and say with pride "Violence is not our Culture".

The WLC facilitates the voice and expression of Namibian women through information sharing, research, writing, photography, and the publishing of critical feminist texts that we distribute within Namibian society. In that spirit we just concluded a 2-day WOMEN's VOICES writing workshop with the women from Zambezi region in Katima Mulilo, sharing their experiences and realities on harmful cultural practices that still exist in Namibia and how we can all collectively prevent them so women and girls can thrive in all aspects of their lives.