Windhoek — The 'Women in Dialogue with Political Parties' public debate where parties are to present their positions on gender equality and other matters concerning women voters, takes place today at the headquarters of the Council of Churches in Namibia (CCN) in Katutura.

"Women are still seen as second-class citizens," comments Elizabeth !Khaxas, Executive Director of the Women's Leadership Centre that is organising the forum and is mobilising women voters for the upcoming elections. !Khaxas says women still have less access to resources, income, land, decision-making power and personal freedoms than men.

"We are holding political parties accountable to adhering to all the national and international gender laws and policies our Government has signed and ratified over the past 20 years," says !Khaxas.

Political parties have been requested to respond to the following issues during their presentations: Prevention of violence against women; freedom from hunger and poverty for all; access to affordable housing, water and electricity for all; HIV prevention and treatment of HIV/Aids; comprehensive health provision, including dental and mental healthcare; quality education for all children and quality informal and adult education; promotion of respect and dignity for all people, including lesbian and gay people. Provision of safe and accessible abortion to save women's lives and curb baby dumping also comes under the spotlight, as well as uranium mining and safety of people in the Erongo Region, as well as the environment.

Women's advocacy pamphlet containing civil society's demands on gender issues will be launched at this event. Similarly, women will give short testimonies on their lives, depicting personal and political accounts of violations against their dignity and rights.

These testimonies are to represent a call for action for the implementation of all gender laws, and in particular the National Gender Policy and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

"We have wonderful gender laws and policies, but these are only on paper and are not yet in the hearts and minds of our people. This needs to change for us to build a Namibia that takes care of all her people. The policy makers and women's testimonies are also testament to the resilience and courage of Namibian women," says !Khaxas.

Prior to the debate, participants in the Women Claiming Citizenship Campaign from all 13 regions in the country, converge in Windhoek to evaluate the implementation of gender laws and gender policies in towns and villages, using their day-to-day experiences as a yardstick.

And tomorrow the participants will plan for women's participation in the regional council and local authority elections of 2010 to ensure that all levels of Government implement national and international gender laws, and in particular CEDAW.