Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
vealed. Of the women interviewed in Lüderitz, Karasburg and Keetmanshoop, 25% said
they had been abused or raped by their husbands. Endemic social problems, such as
poverty, alcoholism and the feeling of powerlessness engendered by long-term unemploy-
ment, only increase feelings of disaffection and fuel the flames of abuse. Although the
government passed one of the most comprehensive legislative acts against rape in the
world, it remains to be seen how effectively it is enforced.
Namibian women do feature prominently in local and civic life, and many a Namibian
woman took a heroic stance in the struggle for independence, as the impressive stories in
Histories of Namibia
reveal.
According to a US Department of State Human Rights Report in 2010, women held 24
seats in the 78-seat National Assembly. There were five female ministers and four female
deputy ministers among the 41 ministerial and deputy ministerial incumbents, and three
female judges among the 11 permanent judges of the High Court.
Women are also undoubtedly the linchpin of the Namibian home. They shoulder a
double responsibility in raising children and caring for family members as well as contrib-
uting to the family income. This load has only increased with the horrendous effects of
HIV/AIDS on the family structure.
Religion
About 80% to 90% of Namibians profess Christianity, and German Lutheranism is the
dominant sect in most of the country. As a result of early missionary activity and Por-
tuguese influence from Angola, there is also a substantial Roman Catholic population,
mainly in the central and northern areas.
Most non-Christian Namibians - mainly Himba, San and some Herero - live in the
north, and continue to follow animist traditions. In general, their beliefs are characterised
by ancestor veneration, and most practitioners believe that deceased ancestors continue to
interact with the living, and serve as messengers between their descendants and the gods.
Economy
The Namibian people's way of life is in large part dictated by the country's economy,
which is dominated by the extraction and processing of minerals for export. Although
mining only accounts for 8% of the GDP, it provides more than half of foreign exchange
earnings. Most famously, Namibia's large alluvial diamond deposits have earned it the en-
viable reputation as one of the world's primary sources for gem-quality stones. However,
the country is also regarded as a prominent producer of uranium, lead, zinc, tin, silver and
tungsten.
