Namibia’s military looks to expand percentage of women among its ranks as it reaffirms its commitment to inclusiveness in conflict resolution

• The Namibian Defence Force currently sees women representing 23% of its forces and 5% of its management, and the Defence Minister has signaled a desire to expand the proportion to 30% in the near future.
• The country is looking to fortify its commitment to UN Resolution 1325, introduced in 2000 by Namibian cabinet member Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to put women’s rights and inclusion in peace and security efforts at the forefront of international security and conflict resolution.
• The remarks came during a seminar on gender mainstreaming in Namibia, which connected gains in women’s participation in conflict resolution to expanded opportunities in other sectors.

“When I introduced this important role women could play to the Security Council, it was completely rejected. They said women were not a security issue but a social issue. We persisted, though, and started lobbying and won the confidence of Unicef and other groups, which eventually strengthened our proposal that was finally adopted.”