Windhoek — The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare last week Friday launched the National Plan of Action on Gender-Based Violence 2012-2016 in Windhoek.

The plan is aimed at introducing active programmes for the prevention of gender-based violence and strengthening support services for survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV).

The plan of action was launched together with the "Sixteen Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence" campaign and is designed to prevent GBV and to improve the implementation of laws and services aimed at victims of GBV.

Doreen Sioka, the Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, said the plan seeks to address the complex nature of GBV, encouraging stakeholders to consider the root causes of GBV and to identify areas for improvement in access to delivery of effective and efficient services.

"Two issues have been singled out for special strategies appropriate to their unique nature. They are trafficking in persons and baby dumping. The plan also notes the need to pay special attention to cross-cutting strategies aimed at the protection of persons with disabilities," Sioka states in the foreword of the plan of action document.

The GBV plan touches on issues like the situational analysis of GBV in Namibia, common forms of GBV, groups vulnerable to GBV, existing national efforts in addressing GBV, the challenges in tackling GBV in Namibia, the framework of Namibia's national plan of action on GBV, as well as the activities that will be undertaken during the implementation of the plan of action.

The ministry will coordinate the implementation of the national plan of action on GBV, in collaboration with all stakeholders. The coordination will be aimed at minimising duplication of efforts and fostering greater coherence of approaches and programmes. The ministry will also undertake two assessments of the plan's effectiveness, one during the implementation period to see if there is progress and another at the end of the implementation period.