Promoting gender equality across Namibia

The project, funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), is being implemented by the Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia (EIF) in conjunction with the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform (MAWLR).
The training sought to increase the ability of IREMA staff, important stakeholders, and project beneficiaries to address gender inequalities in the project's numerous interventions and to understand social inclusion as a strategy that is necessary to improve the project's effective execution.
In her welcoming remarks, Mirjam Kaholongo, the national project manager, encouraged the trainees to openly unpack gender issues affecting them.
This will aid the project implementers to identify and address key bottlenecks to gender inequality to ensure gender consideration in project activities.
She further emphasised that gender equality and women’s empowerment are a cornerstone of effective climate action; therefore, it is imperative to make the vital connections between gender, social equity, and climate change.
Gender divisions
Presenting the essence of the workshop, Kredula Shimwandi (EIF-Gender young professional) highlighted the commitments of the EIF towards promoting gender equity and equality between women and men throughout the project implementation period.

"We have areas of gender implementation, whereby the gender policy is imbedded into all policies and programmes of the fund, to integrate the objective of gender equality into policy partnerships, advocacy and dialogue, public engagement and communications in order to address gender gaps and unequal power relationships that exist," said Shimwandi.
According to gender expert, Dr. Mogotsi Immaculate from the University of Namibia, male and female entitlements, duties, and responsibilities are divided along gender lines, with males making most decisions, whilst women are responsible for most of the household chores and have limited or no decision-making power within their households and communities.
The gender division of labour, coupled with unequal decision-making power and control over household, land and community resources, provides males and females with deferential opportunities to adapt to climate change.
No discrimination
She further stressed that involving both women and men in all processes of climate action is a significant factor in meeting the climate challenges. ‘’Teach our boys and girls how to carry out daily activities without discriminating against them based on their gender roles to build resilience and ability to address climate change," Mogotsi said.
The workshop was concluded by Sakeus Shilomboleni, the EIF environmental and social safeguard officer, who emphasised that it was a crucial chance to highlight the gender gaps and barriers that exist in the Kunene region and to set expectations with the participants regarding gender mainstreaming through the IREMA project.
It is undeniable that mainstreaming is required to uphold the human rights and social justice of both men and women, but it is also becoming clearer that doing so ensures the achievement of other social and economic goals.
As they returned to their various villages, he further urged the project's beneficiaries to lead the way in promoting gender equality with the help of influential locals.