||Kharas Governor, Aletha Frederick said women should understand that they have the responsibility to grab opportunities presented to them to ensure that gender equality continues in the country.

Frederick was speaking at the belated commemoration of International Women’s Day at Aussenkehr on Saturday – the day is commemorated on 08 March each year, this year it was celebrated under the theme ‘Invest in women, accelerate progress’.

‘We do not necessarily need to be pushed by someone else to grab opportunities that are presented to us, you should have the willingness to grab it, because people will not be there forever, let us push ourselves and grab them because you will never know if you can do a certain task until you try it,’ she said.

Frederick urged ministries, agencies and the private sector to ensure that continual capacity building takes place for women, citing that as Namibia is moving towards the fourth industrial revolution which involve technology, women should not be left behind but must be ca
pacitated equally with men.

‘For us to build an equal society, we must start investing more in women’s leadership, health, education and economic development. Women have the ability and capacity, it is not that we do not have these things, we do, we just want equal opportunities to showcase our talent, to help and assist men so that society is not only built by men but both men and women,’ she stressed.

Also speaking at the event Aussenkehr Primary School principal, Susanna Kadhikwa said it is important that women take up responsibility to ensure that they contribute to the achievements of developmental agendas such as Vision 2030.

‘Vision 20230 is around the corner, it is watching us, what did we as women do to implement this sustainable development goal, what do we do when it comes to poverty, zero hunger, providing clean water and sanitation, quality education – are we working towards that vision. If we want our voice to be heard and our cries to be answered, let us invest in one another, only then will
we accelerate progress,’ she said.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency