The “I” Stories: Healing Through the Power of the Pen

Gender Based Violence affects us all. The women suffering are our neighbours, our colleagues and our friends. They are our sisters, our mothers and our daughters. When we turn a blind eye to gender-based violence, we are turning our backs on them.

Namibia has gone to great lengths to promote legislation to ensure gender equality: it has enacted the Married PersonsEquality Act, the Comabting of Rape Act and the Domestic Violence Act, all progressive pieces of legislation that seek to outlaw or discourage domestic violence.

The Government has also shown great commitment to combating the abuse of women and children by establishing a Women and Law Committee in the Law and Dvelopment Commission (LRDC) to focus on Legislationthat discriminates against women.

However despite these advances, women’s rightsare still being violated and gender-based violence continues to thrive. It might not always be visible, but it is constantly there, simmering under the surface.

The stories contained in these pages remind us that these issues of gender-based violence are all too present and all too real. It took strength and courage for the women featured in this book to come forward. We must not let them down. Telling their own stories and having their voices heard is a brave act and an important part of the healing process. We must now have the courage to stand up and fight with them to end gender-based violence.

Publisher: GEMSA Namibia
Year of Publication: 2006