After carrying out her strategic plan in 2008, Sister Namibia recognized the need for developing a young feminist’s movement in Namibia. In 2008-2009, Sister Namibia achieved this through the publication of REAL! magazine and establishment of the Sisterhood Girls Empowerment Programme which was comprised of a group of girls from various high schools in Windhoek that met to discuss issues that affect them in their day-to-day lives both at school and at home.
Developing and nurturing Young Feminists is important to Sister Namibia because since her inception Sister Namibia’s organisational identity has always been driven by a spirit of feminism that entails:
- Fighting for the rights and dignity of women
- Solidarity, partnerships, networking, a commitment to young women’s leadership and an inter-generational transfer of skills and knowledge
- Nurturing feminist principles and promoting feminist leadership
- Standing up to discrimination in all its forms by reaching into the darkest hidden places of human rights abuses
Sister Namibia also held a program entitled “Women’s Voices” Radio show which was broadcast once a week on BASE FM 106.2, a community radio station that is found in the Katutura Township in Windhoek. The show created a platform for women to air their opinions and views on many topics, and also acted as a tool for the empowerment of women through information. The Show was an interactive show where listeners were welcome to call in and text their responses and opinions. Plans to revive Women’s Voices are currently underway.
Young Feminist Camp
Sister Namibia recently hosted a Young Feminist Camp which took place from 28 September to 1 September 2011. The camp was a 5 day program which bought together 20 boys and girls aged 12-14 from different schools in Oshakati. Sister Namibia is currently organising a Young Feminist Camp which will take place from 28 August to 1 September 2011. The camp consists of a 5 day program which will bring together 25 12-14 year old boys and girls from different schools in Oshakati. The Young Feminists Camp aims to raise the participants’ awareness of their sexual and reproductive health and rights. This will include the ways in which these are violated through poverty, peer pressure and cultural practices that expose young women and girls to sexual violence, unwanted pregnancies, STI’s and HIV/Aids. Our aim is to make this a yearly activity with participation from young people from various schools in other regions of Namibia.