First Lady Champions Gender Equality

In 2022, the Office of the First Lady was laser-focused on the execution of its strategic objectives. The Office views its work as multidimensional and needs complementary interventions.

Last year was about focusing on youth development through funding for the #BeFree multidisciplinary Centre of Excellence. Our Office work has always had a strong focus on Gender-Based Violence (GBV), and in November, #BreakFree organised an “Arts for Activism Show” to celebrate artists and creatives from all over Namibia. Art being one of the therapeutic tools used by survivors of sexual violence, this event allowed them to creatively express themselves in a safe space.

Beyond the Foundation’s focus on youth and fighting the scourge of GBV-F, ONE was also committed to engaging men in its work to transform mindsets and empower communities. The most notable was the “#BeFree Cook-Off: Male Engagement” in Windhoek, which included the First Lady of Namibia (FLON), Hon. Salomon April, and inmates from the Namibia Correctional Services who shared their understanding of what constitutes male masculinity. It aimed to deconstruct gender stereotypes by combining cooking tutorials with male engagement sessions.

The public health focus of the Office of the First Lady has increased international prominence with FLON attending the World Health Summit 2022 in Germany, with numerous opportunities to engage leaders of international health organisations and highlight Namibia’s progress on spotlighting HIV. As a result of her engagements, the Virchow Foundation for Global Health (the

Nobel Peace Prize equivalent for health) appointed FLON to sit on their Board of Trustees. FLON’s leadership was recognised by Howard University when she received the Global Leadership of Women Award from Howard University last year. Lastly, FLON has also been recognised as one of the 100 most influential women in Africa.

Through its numerous interventions, programmes and innovative solutions, the Office of the First Lady is committed to its fight against gender-based violence, increasing access to healthcare and advancing positive change for youth. The Year 2023 will be a fruitful year as we launch the #BeFree Centre of Excellence, a multidimensional youth centre, developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service.