Book by Namibian women gets funding

THE co-operation between the Embassy of Finland and the Women’s Leadership Centre (WLC) turned a new page when the embassy granted N$350 430 to the WLC on Tuesday.

The new one-year agreement is a continuation of the Embassy’s earlier support to the initial Women’s Voices project that produced a book, ‘Between Yesterday and Tomorrow’, earlier this year. Charge d’Affaires Seija Kinni-Huttunen said the Embassy of Finland is supporting efforts to improve human rights in general and gender equality in particular.The grant will be used to produce and publish another book, this time about women and sexuality.The collection of short stories, poems and narratives will address issues around HIV-AIDS and women’s sexual rights, the resistance to violence as well as poverty and social exclusion.As with the first book, the material for the book will be collected from three writing workshops.Elisabeth /Khaxas, the Manager of the Women’s Leadership Centre, said the book will benefit Namibian women by allowing them to see that people’s personal issues and experiences are shared by many.Also, through the book, issues important to women will get wider publicity.The book will be used for lobbying and advocacy purposes.The organisation also hopes to promote feminism in Namibia.It plans to establish a network of women’s discussion groups and writing clubs throughout the country, thus creating places of consciousness-raising on women’s issues.It is hoped that these groups and clubs will empower Namibian women from all walks of life, including sex workers, poor women, those living in squatter camps or affected by HIV-AIDS.Charge d’Affaires Seija Kinni-Huttunen said the Embassy of Finland is supporting efforts to improve human rights in general and gender equality in particular.The grant will be used to produce and publish another book, this time about women and sexuality.The collection of short stories, poems and narratives will address issues around HIV-AIDS and women’s sexual rights, the resistance to violence as well as poverty and social exclusion.As with the first book, the material for the book will be collected from three writing workshops.Elisabeth /Khaxas, the Manager of the Women’s Leadership Centre, said the book will benefit Namibian women by allowing them to see that people’s personal issues and experiences are shared by many.Also, through the book, issues important to women will get wider publicity.The book will be used for lobbying and advocacy purposes.The organisation also hopes to promote feminism in Namibia.It plans to establish a network of women’s discussion groups and writing clubs throughout the country, thus creating places of consciousness-raising on women’s issues.It is hoped that these groups and clubs will empower Namibian women from all walks of life, including sex workers, poor women, those living in squatter camps or affected by HIV-AIDS.