Sister Namibia Magazine Training Tool for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of Women

There are many cultural practises that deny women agency in making informed and responsible sexual decisions. These practises have a direct influence on women’s bodily autonomy and consequently their lives – having control of a woman’s body and sexuality, means that you have control of the woman. Many cultures in Namibia and beyond have some harsh, and some subtle but just as debilitating practises, that crush any sense of agency in women, their sexual and social lives. Through workshops, using the Sister Namibia magazine, Sister Namibia attempts to get women and men to critically analyse their cultures, and understand the practices that undermine efforts to prevent the spread of HIV, as well as to address gender based violence amongst people and communities. These workshops also nurture and encourage agency in the individual participants lives-showing them that they have influence over their lives and consequently their communities, when it comes to advocating for their rights as women. Through this approach, the organisation has seen a ripple effect where one member of the community tells another member of the community and person by person, the community develops a greater and deeper understanding of their cultures as well as sexual and reproductive rights of women and girls. While this method is no silver bullet, and does take longer to see visible results, its effects equally last longer because individual lives are affected and changed.

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