More Than Quotas
By: June Shimuoshili
Namibia may boast one of the highest representations of women in parliament in Africa, yet true empowerment still eludes many women on the ground. Empowerment isn’t merely about filling seats at decision-making tables. It’s about equipping women with resources, confidence, and real opportunities to shape their destinies.
In rural Namibia, women run small businesses selling crafts, produce, or local food, but face major obstacles: lack of access to credit, little training, and few bridges into male-dominated industries like engineering or ICT. Meanwhile, many young women in urban centres have to fight stereotypes, and in households where male children get priority, girls are sidelined—and often expected to help their families in the fields during the rainy season instead of attending school.
Here there is hope. The government has recently launched the National Youth Development Fund (NYDF), offering loans between N$60,000 and N$200,000 at fixed interest rates (capped at about 4%) to young entrepreneurs. What’s important is that the NYDF is designed to promote equitable access, with support prioritized for young women, youth in rural areas, and persons with disabilities.
Also, programmes like the Namibia Youth Credit Scheme (NYCS) provide loans (for example, smaller start-up amounts) without high collateral demands, plus training and mentorship to help youth run businesses sustainably.
These initiatives show that government policy is beginning to catch up with the demand for genuine empowerment. But it’s not enough to have policies on paper. To transform lives, Namibia must ensure that women benefit equitably: that women in remote areas access these funds; that mentorship and skill development reach those suffering systemic exclusion; that men are brought into the conversation as supporters, not gatekeepers; and that cultural norms which say women are less than men are challenged head-on.
