You cannot be against GBV and be xenophobic, says Namibia’s First Lady

Namibia’s First Lady Monica Geingob has challenged Africans to check how their beliefs and behaviours contribute to some of the issues African countries are battling with, including xenophobia and homophobia.

Addressing guests at the Presidential Summit on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Femicide at the Gallagher Convention Centre on Tuesday, Geingob said while the gathering of African leaders was meant to tackle GBV, this should not come from a place of prejudice.

“Prejudice loves company and we know it from apartheid; it was as sexist as it was racist. And when we talk about GBV, we must talk about it from a place of not having prejudice. You cannot be against GBV but you’re tribalistic. You cannot be against tribalism but be xenophobic. You cannot be against xenophobia but you are homophobic,” said Geingob.

“So we must investigate ourselves because a comment was made here at some point that why was bail given to a non-South African for R10,000 for rape. Why should bail be given for anybody if that’s the case? The law should apply to everybody; rape is offensive and it hurts from a general respective regardless of who the rapist is.”

GBV in our homes

Geingob further called on leaders to stop GBV in the homes as, according to South African Police Service (SAPS), the home of the rapist or the rape survivor remains the most likely place of occurrence for rape in South Africa.

“You are more likely to be raped in your own home than in a public space, we need to reflect on that. Our homes are not safe. Our workplaces are not safe. Schools are not safe. Churches are not safe. Where will women be safe?

“We, individuals, families, communities and leaders often engage in practices, beliefs and mindsets which fuels, excuses, accepts and exonerates the mindsets and behaviour that drive very problematic behaviour and GBV. When we admit that a lot of this behaviour happens in the home, we are correct to demand better response from the state, particularly the criminal justice system. But it’s also correct to say that a lot of work has to go in prevention because we cannot be policed in our homes.”

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It was up to everyone to stop GBV in the homes as we know the perpetrators.

“When faced with these situations in our homes, we’re the first to call family meetings. It’s employers who would not want their workplaces to be associated with an act of sexual violence, it’s schools who do not want their reputations to be scarred, who do not report. There is a level of hypocrisy that we need to mitigate in order to get the right statistics. This is why political leadership matters. This is why this summit matters.

“We all need to be held accountable for our behaviour in relation to GBV in the public and the private sphere, and to remove the disconnect between what we do in public and what we say and how we act in private.”

Government policies

Geingob also called on governments to constantly evaluate their policies on GBV to ensure they address what is happening on the ground. This will require governments to ensure the best people occupy positions that will make the “system” work for GBV survivors.

“If we’re not competent and we do not hold each other accountable, people who are unwilling or unable to do their jobs should be held accountable and make space for the willing and the able, and this way the system becomes functional and a true reflection of our collective talent and abilities.

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“The only way we can honour the thousands who have lost their lives to femicide is to provide the necessary support to women who continue to suffer trauma at the hands of abusive men, families, societies and suffer secondary trauma in criminal justice systems that tend to be abusive towards women.”