Namibia Showcases Progress on Gender Equality at Global Stage

• President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah set Namibia's achievement in empowering women on display during the UN
• She highlighted that Namibia has consistently registered great strides in closing the gap between men and women

New York president Nandumbo Nandi-Mandaitwah highlighted Namibia's progress in women's empowerment during his speech at the high-level 30th anniversary meeting of the fourth world conference on women, held at the United Nations General Assembly Hall on Monday.

She stated that Namibia has made significant progress in closing the gender gap and remains committed to promoting women's participation in society.

The president noted that the progress of Namibia has derived from deliberate policies and strong political since independence in 1990, including the adoption of international commitments such as the Declaration and the Beijing Action Platform, which were incorporated into national gender policies.

Nandumbo pointed to a milestone in the leadership of Namibia, with women currently occupying the positions of the president, vice president, president of the National Assembly and secretary general of the Swapo Party.

She also shared that women represent 57 percent of the position of the cabinet, including -Chave ministries such as finance, health, education, international relations and trade, while occupying 38.5 percent of seats in the National Assembly.

According to the report of the 2025 World Economic Forum, Namibia closed 81.1 percent of its gender gap, classifying the eighth global and first in Africa. The president described this ranking as recognition of Namibia's commitment to promote women's empowerment.

At the same time, she acknowledged that the challenges remain, particularly in the economic inclusion of women, especially those in rural areas. She pointed out that 70 percent of Namibia's informal traders are women, many of them young people who face barriers to credit, land and markets.

To resolve these issues, she cited the National Policy of Equality and Gender Equity 2025-2035, which aims to improve access to resources, training and support for micro-enclosures owned by women. She also observed the role of Namibia's Agibank in helping women and young people who enter agriculture.

Nandumbo reaffirmed Namibia's commitment to dealing with gender-based violence, harmful cultural practices and structural inequalities, emphasizing that these efforts are aligned with the target of sustainable development 5 on gender equality.

Reflecting on her role as a general rapporteur at the 1995 Beijing Conference, she underlined Namibia's continuous commitment to Beijing's Declaration, which recognized women's rights as human rights. She stated that Namibia's progress was supported by reforms and legal policies that promote political inclusion.

UN meeting speakers recognized Namibia's progress as remarkable, regional and globally, especially to ensure women's representation in leadership roles. The president concluded reiterating Namibia's determination to continue advancing gender equality, according to the declaration and the Beijing Platform of Action, which remains the most comprehensive global structure for women's rights.