First Gentleman Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah has called for coordinated national efforts to address the social, educational and psychological challenges facing boys and men in Namibia.
Ndaitwah made the call at the first male engagement symposium in Windhoek yesterday, saying fragmented efforts to engage men and boys have limited the impact of programmes aimed at promoting gender equality and wellbeing.
He said effective coordination across sectors is needed to turn isolated initiatives into sustainable interventions that could bring meaningful behavioural change.
"The power of coordination in male engagement programmes lies in its ability to transform uncoordinated, isolated efforts into unified, gender-transformative interventions. Historically, engaging men and boys has suffered from systemic duplication, fragmented messaging, and structural inefficiencies. It must be underscored that effective cross-sectoral coordination will unlock scalable, sustainable, and culturally resonant behavioural change," he said.
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He said the situation requires stakeholders to work together to ensure that programmes addressing the needs of boys and men are coordinated, sustainable and responsive to their circumstances.
DEN Impact Foundation
Ndaitwah also highlighted what he described as a boy child crisis in Namibia and globally, saying the social, educational and psychological neglect of boys and young men over more than three decades could weaken society if left unaddressed.
He said concerns over male mental health and a culture of silence were also contributing to disproportionately high suicide rates among boys and men, which prompted him to establish the DEN Impact Foundation, which he launched on 18 August 2026.
He said the foundation aims to empower boys through sport, agriculture, technical training, skills development and character building, while strengthening rather than competing with gains made in empowering girls.
Ndaitwah further called on stakeholders to reach boys, who are hardest to reach and ensure that no child is left behind in empowerment programmes while urging men and boys to take ownership of efforts aimed at addressing challenges affecting them.
Men's health
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare reached out to 2 479 boys and 3 230 men during the 2025/26 and 2026/27 financial years. Through national and regional initiatives, the programmes promoted positive masculinity, gender-based violence prevention, men's health, mental health, and gender equality.
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These include the 5th Annual National Men's Conference, held in partnership with the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, the Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations, the Ministry of Health and Social Services, GIPF, Regain Trust, and Women's Action for Development.
Speaking at the symposium, Minister Emma Kantema said the engagement aligns with the third national gender equality and equity policy, 2025-2035, which is premised on the principle that women and men, boys and girls are equal in all aspects, differentiated only by their physical traits and biological functions.
The policy also recognises the important role that men and boys can play in preventing and responding to gender-based violence, violence against children, HIV and AIDS, and in promoting gender equality and equity.
The symposium was held under the theme: "Coordinating Namibia's work with men and boys for gender equality and wellbeing in Namibia."
