Beyond Resentment: Men, Sexism and Meritocracy

For a long time, I have struggled with a frustrating question: Why do so many job vacancies in Namibia state “female candidates preferred”?

As a young black man, I saw this as an unfair barrier.

It felt like another yet system designed to work against us.

But with time, I came to realise I was looking at the issue through a narrow, self-centred lens. I was personalising something that was never about me. And in doing so, I was missing the bigger picture.

For generations, black people in Namibia were excluded from economic opportunity, but within that struggle, women faced an even greater battle. While black men were marginalised in society, black women were doubly disadvantaged – oppressed both by the system of apartheid and by deeply entrenched gender norms that dictated their place in the home, not in the workplace.

Even after Namibia’s independence, the effects of that exclusion lingered. Women remain underrepresented in leadership, underpaid compared to their male counterparts, and often overlooked for promotions. The professional world was not designed for them to succeed.

That is why many companies are now making an effort to change this.

When we personalise issues, we allow emotion to cloud our understanding. We become defensive rather than informed.

By shifting our perspective, we can see that these policies are not about rejecting men. They are about creating opportunities that should have existed long ago for women.

Understanding this does not mean men should ignore their own challenges. The struggles of young black men in Namibia are real. We still face biases. We still struggle to find opportunities in certain spaces. But advocating for our progress should not come at the expense of women’s advancement.

The fight for fairness is not a zero-sum game. It is not about who struggles more, but about making sure no one is left behind.

So instead of resenting these policies, let’s ask how we can support women in their rightful push for inclusion.

Growth comes when we step outside of our own experience and see the world as it truly is – not just as it feels to us. When we do that, we don’t just become better professionals. We become better people.

One day, when we get this right as a country, we should move toward a society where opportunity is based on merit and competence, not race or gender.

Affirmative action is a necessary tool for correcting historical injustices, but it should not be a permanent fixture. Its goal should be to build a fair system, not to exist indefinitely.

When that day comes, we must be ready to let go of corrective measures and trust that our institutions will be strong enough to provide equal opportunities for all.

A society where every individual – regardless of background – can rise based on talent, hard work, and ability is the true vision of progress.

That is the Namibia we should strive for.

Job Angula