ABOUT 1 000 women participated in the first Women’s Celebratory March down Windhoek’s Independence Avenue to the Parliament Gardens yesterday.
The march was organised by Women’s Action for Development (WAD) and led by the Minister of Justice, Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, the Deputy Mayor of Windhoek, Elaine Trepper, and Veronica de Klerk of WAD. Women from many different institutions, businesses and organisations participated.Women are steadily overcoming discrimination at the workplace after many years of receiving less pay than men with the same qualifications, De Klerk told the participants.”Our demand is not an unreasonable one.We are merely asking for that which is rightfully ours – for equal treatment, equal representation and equal recognition in Namibia even though we are in the majority,” she said.Namibian mothers should start treating their children equally and not differentiate between boys and girls, she said.This different treatment, where girls are expected to serve their brothers, let the boys grow up with the misconception that women should serve men and that the genders are not equal.The march was a celebration of everything women have achieved over the last years and also a reminder that there is still a lot to be done.Women from many different institutions, businesses and organisations participated.Women are steadily overcoming discrimination at the workplace after many years of receiving less pay than men with the same qualifications, De Klerk told the participants.”Our demand is not an unreasonable one.We are merely asking for that which is rightfully ours – for equal treatment, equal representation and equal recognition in Namibia even though we are in the majority,” she said.Namibian mothers should start treating their children equally and not differentiate between boys and girls, she said.This different treatment, where girls are expected to serve their brothers, let the boys grow up with the misconception that women should serve men and that the genders are not equal.The march was a celebration of everything women have achieved over the last years and also a reminder that there is still a lot to be done.
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