Despite the flurry of media coverage on women in politics during the 2009 elections, Namibia may witness a decline in women’s representation in parliament from 30.8% to 25% in the 27-28 November polls, according to an election forecast by Gender Links and the Gender and Media Southern African Network (GEMSA)-Namibia.

Gender in the 2009 elections has been a newsworthy topic with Namibia’s mainstream media publishing stories on women’s participation in politics, their placement on parties’ lists and gender analyses of the political parties’ manifestoes. And, more than 30 civil society organisations have joined hands with the Women’s Leadership Centre to mount the ‘Women Claiming Citizens Campaign’ launched in October.

Historically, women and power were mutually exclusive terms. Traditionally women only held and experienced power through their men - fathers, husbands or sons. But with time, this changed to at least consider women in politics and allow them to participate in decision-making on matters of national interest.

This session on the Advancement of Women is very important for us because of the location of women in the structure of our society on the one hand and the normative position of gender empowerment on the other. It is a well-known fact that women are historically disadvantaged in virtually all societies.