What is Namibia Culture like in the 21st Century?

What is the gender equality?

The state of Gender equality and the well-bring of children lives go hand and hand so if a women can live a strong healthy life the children will prosper better. Plagued by discrimination, dis-empowerment and poverty  women and children around the globe are the main reason the countries are not flourishing. The effects of HIV/AIDS in women and girls are a leading violence caused but Namibia has made commendable efforts on the issue trying to fulfill the rights of the Namibia women and girls. Female headed households are among the poorest; illiteracy which is higher among females hold them back from gainful employment, productivity and participation in development; discriminatory beliefs deny access to health care, most critically felt during pregnancy and childbirth; children of poor and illiterate women suffer greater consequences of ill health and early death from preventable diseases while HIV and AIDS are more adversely affecting women and girls.

The gender-based violence, the s of HIV and AIDS on women and girls and gender inequality in political participation are manifestations of a deeply-rooted belief generally among men and women alike that women are meant to take a secondary role in society. Inheritance rights, property grabbing against widows and orphans, poor maternal health and access to productive employment are other forms of inequality and discrimination relevant in Namibia’s context. The empowering measure of Namibia  women is political representation at all levels. Gender-based violence, extreme behavior that is based on gender inequality and the need to express a sense of male ‘superiority’ through physical and non-physical domination, is an area of growing concern in Namibia. a survey taken in 2000 showed that 44% of Namibia man think wife beating is justified, or more reason while in Caprivi region,the proportion was an overwhelming 91%.

With help from all levels on the decision-making process- from within their homes to the government- has repercussions in the Namibia as a nation striving to reduce poverty and optimize the opportunities for all its people to enjoy an improved quality of life.Progress has been made in education for women and girls, nut participation in areas of decision-making, and political power, has went down by a margin. Women hold 23% of the highest national political positions in the Cabinet of the nation (10 out of 43). In 2005 the SADC declaration on gender and development set a bar of 30% for women representation in public services decision-making positions, and Namibia has done and excellent job overall. The African Union (AU) has set a target of 50% representation by 2020, a goal that the Namibia public service will have to galvanize itself to achieve.

A lot has been achieved in Namibia as far as parity in primary education, but as Namibia girls become women, the picture changes: women's participation in the work force drops and females unemployment rate are higher then male.The roles of women within traditional authority structures need to be examined and questioned; their rights within customary law and the potential discrepancies between these and the rights they enjoy under domestic legislation need to be harmonized.On the road to gender equality, Namibians will need to question why the early years of equal access to opportunities for girls are denied to women.As gender issues lie at the root of many inequalities in Namibia, women also need to be encouraged to participate actively at all levels of public life with full support from their male peers, thus raising the profile of women and improving their capacity to advocate on behalf of children and vulnerable members of society.

What are the rituals and supernatural/religious practices?

Majority of the population in Namibia are Christian and very few have stuck to the traditional religions. Also some of population classify themselves as Nama Muslims and continue to practice as muslims. The Lutheran Church is known to be the largest in Namibia but there also other surrounding churches. The two biggest holidays recognized in Namibia are Easter and Christmas. There seems to be little conspiracy or knowledge of the supernatural or other such rituals.

One of the more important events in Namibia culture is the ritual of marriage. Similar to Americans they have groomsmen and bridesmaids, they have family and friends gather to witness this ritual, and it is normally held in a church where they say there vows. During their ritual there is normally a feast, lots of singing, and waving of horsetail whisks. The horsetail whisks are supposed to resemble a broom and how it cleans and waving them cleanses and gives good luck to the new couple.

Another ritual or practice the Nama have is to follow kinship and kin groups. What kin group is followed by connecting and allowing for all family members to be involved in one another's lives allowing things to be passed down from generation to generation. The Nama follow one of three types of kin groups; matrilineal, patrilineal, or bilateral. Matrilineal is the following or tracing of ties from females in the kin such as mother to daughter. Patrilineal is the tracing of connections or ties between the males in the kin such as father to son. Lastly, bilateral is the mixing of following both male and female kin.

The advantages the Nama recognize by following kin is to allow for a good support networks for all members of the family by allowing for joint ownership of land and certain resources such as livestock. This also has allowed them to make bigger differences in political affairs by having a united front to fight against injustice. They also use this same kind of idea to follow their religious beliefs and affairs. The kin groups are determined by what ethnicity the Nama are and where they are located in Namibia.

Namibia. Culture of Namibia. Countries and their cultures. Advameg Inc. 2017.  www.everyculture.com/Ma-No/Namibia.html.