Gender Equality

I met a Catholic father yesterday. He is Irish, but serves here in Namibia. We got into a good discussion about gender equality. We both were discussing how we have observed this in Namibia.

Too often, women here are not respected. Gender equality, power, the place and positionality of women and girls in society, combined with the realities of extreme poverty and a high unemployment rate make it challenging for women to assert their power, gain independence and to develop a strong sense of self-confidence.

Namibia has one of the highest Gini coefficients in the world, meaning it is one of the countries with the most unequal wealth distribution. In addition, the legacy of apartheid is dark and apparent. The way blacks and whites talk to and about each other is often rife with acrimony and distrust. It will take time for the country to heal, and perhaps to reach a time where there is greater social justice and a more fair chance for the poor of Namibia to improve their circumstances.

How do we untangle this web of poverty, gender inequality and economic injustice? Where do you start?

It was Theodore Roosevelt who said “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”

Peace Corps is a grassroots program and thus we are working on the ground-level. At the school where I work, we have founded a youth empowerment and gender equality club. The students are meant to be change agents. The goal is for them to manifest all of their greatness, and to cultivate a strong sense of self-confidence. We are starting small, but the work which lies ahead is daunting. The roots of patriarchy run deep. We must take strong steps forward and work towards a day of a more empowered, confident generation of youth and greater gender and economic equality.

If anyone can get us there, it is surely our youth – with all of their idealism, passion and energy. Let them propel us forward. As a colleague of mine said once, the youth are not the leaders of tomorrow, they are TODAY. They are already before us as leaders.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” ― Margaret Mead