Women in Namibia
# Women in Namibia

Women in Namibia face challenges in their health, gender based violence, and access to education. The government of Namibia is taking steps to provide women with equal rights to a degree that is largely unparalleled in Sub-Saharan Africa, including the promise of gender equality and increased parliament representation in the Namibian constitution. Women currently serve in nearly half of all seats in parliament and the first female Prime Minister was elected in 2015.

## Health

HIV/AIDS is largely prevalent within Namibia. HIV-related deaths reached its peak in 2004, when 12,000 people died, but has since declined to around 2,900 deaths in 2021.

The socioeconomic status of women remains a significant indicator of HIV status. Of the poorest women in Namibia, the HIV prevalence rate is at 21.4%, compared to the richest households with an HIV prevalence rate of 3.7%.

Large strides have been made in the last decade to decrease the rate of maternal mortality in Namibia. In 2017, maternal mortality was at a rate of 195 deaths per 100,000 live births, down from 358 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2004. Life expectancy of women in Namibia has also improved. In 2020, the female life expectancy was 67 years, a large gap from 53 years in 2004.

## Domestic violence

The nation's 1990 constitution guarantees women equal protection under law and prohibits gender discrimination. Although unprecedented for its time, there is much to be done to close the gender gap between men and women in Namibia.

Domestic violence remains a large concern in Namibia. On average 26.7% of Namibian women between ages 15–49 have experienced domestic and/or sexual violence at least once, with 52% of these women aged 15–19.

Namibia outlawed marital rape in 2000.

## Legal rights and parliamentary representation

The nation's 1990 constitution guarantees women equal protection under law and prohibits gender discrimination.

Within the past decade, Namibia has seen increased pushes for the representation of women in parliament. In 2004, women constituted 29% of all parliament members, placing Namibia at seventeenth in the world for female representation in parliament. In 2014, the South West Africa People's Organisation introduced a policy committing to filling half of its seats in parliament with women, in addition to a "zebra" system in which a male prime minister would have a female deputy minister and vice versa. As of 2021, 44% of the Namibian parliament has seats filled by women.

In March 2015, Saara Kuugongelwa was appointed as Prime Minister of Namibia, making her the first woman to serve as Namibian Prime Minister.

