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BUDGET SPEECH

2010/2011

BY

HON. DOREEN SIOKA (MP)

MINISTRY OF GENDER EQUALITY


AND CHILD WELFARE
Honourable Deputy Chairperson of the Whole House
Committee, Honourable Members of this August House,

First and foremost I would like to thank and congratulate


H.E. the founding father for turning 81 years old today.
Comrade Father of the Nation, we recognize and
appreciate the excellent work you have done for this
country. No man or woman will fit in your shoes, they are
trying but they end up in failures I wish you more years to
come. Happy Birthday Papa Nujoma.

In the same spirit, allow me to thank H.E. Hifikepunye


Pohamba, the President of the Republic of Namibia for
appointing me to lead the people’s ministry with the
assistance of my Deputy, Cde Angelika Muharukua and
the entire staff of the ministry. We will endeavor to work
hard as a team to carry out the task entrusted to us.

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Allow me also to congratulate the Honourable Minister of
Finance, Comrade Sara Kuugongelwa-Amathila, her
Deputy Minister and her entire team as well as the
Director General of National Planning Commission for
the National Budget presented in this August House.

Hon. Deputy Chairperson


Hon. Members

Let me now take the house through the budget allocations


of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare

The total Operational Budget requested is: N$467,647,000


Four Hundred and Sixty Seven Million Six Hundred
and Forty Seven Thousand Namibian Dollars

The Development Budget needs N$54,012,000: Fifty


Four Million and Twelve Thousand Namibian Dollars
for the following Capital Projects:
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Outapi Craft Center; Aminius Community Center; Rundu
Recreation Center; Construction (Phase II),
Renovation/Construction of Ministerial Headquarters
(Juvenis building), Renovation of Regional and
Constituency Offices, Epako Women Center Construction
and Keetmanshoop Recreation Center.

Hon. Chairperson let me introduce the different


programmes as articulated in the Medium Term Plan of
Vote 12 Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare:

Program 1

CHILD WELFARE:

This programme in the Medium Term Plan constitutes of


Social Allowances and Welfare Programmes. With
additional staff members to be appointed at National,
Regional and Constituency levels, we will be able to deal
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with the escalating number and needs of Orphans and
Vulnerable Children in the country.

In an attempt to ensure that the rights of children are


upheld and protected, the following has been embarked
upon:

• 1. OVC Permanent Task Force (PTF)


The PTF on OVC have successfully met every quarter as
planned in 2009. Its wide composition of representation
consist of government ministries, NGO’s, civil society,
and it is functional at national and regional levels. Social
Workers also attend these meetings. The Regional Social
Workers are responsible for information sharing at
regional and constituency levels at OVC forum meetings.
The Ministry managed to establish regional OVC forums
in all 13 regions and in all 107 Constituencies in the
country.

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OVC forums are used by the Ministry to encourage
communities and service providers at regional and
constituency levels to help OVC and their caregivers to
access services for orphans and vulnerable children. We
are planning to strengthen the collaboration between the
different committees working at regional and constituency
levels on children issues.

Capacity Strengthen for Child Welfare

• 2. Training Workshops
During 2009, different workshops were carried out at
national and regional levels for community members and
other stakeholders working with OVC. They were trained
on monitoring, evaluation and team building. Information
was also given to the communities on the Children Status
Act, roles and responsibilities of OVC forums, emergency
preparedness and child protection just to mention a few. A
total of twenty (20) training workshops were conducted
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with a total of five hundred and fifty (550) participants
trained. Forty two (42) training workshops will be carried
out at national and regional levels during this financial
year.

• 3. Transport
There is a serious need to purchase minibuses to transport
the children at Namibia Children’s Home and the After
School Center. All the regions need at least a 4x4 vehicle
to enable them to reach the needy children in the most
remote areas.

• 4. Social Grants
These are in the form of Maintenance Grants, Foster
Parent Grants and Special Maintenance Grants for
children with disabilities. One hundred and eleven
thousand, six hundred and twenty four (111,624) OVC are
now benefiting from these grants compared to March

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2009 when only ninety nine thousand, four hundred and
ninety (99 490) OVC were benefitting.

The Ministry has developed minimum standards for


Residential Child Care Facilities (RCCF) and is currently
busy registering them. Forty four (44) RCCF countrywide
has been registered out of which nineteen (19) met the
minimum standards while twenty five (25) did not meet
the requirements. The Ministry is assisting these RCCF to
meet the requirement so that they can be registered to
receive subsidy.

• 5. Namibia Children’s Home and After School Centre


The Ministry has a Children’s Home in Eros, Windhoek,
for children in need of care. Currently it caters for one
hundred and twenty four (124) children and covers their
daily maintenance and education for 2010/11 financial
year.

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The After School Centre provides after-school activities to
children at risk and children on the streets. With the
financial support from UNESCO, the centre offers
computer classes and training, on income generating
activities to parents of those children who are involved in
the programme.

The total budgeted amount needed for program one is:


(N$470,470, 000) Four Hundred and Seventy Million,
Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand Namibian
Dollars for 2010/11 financial year.

Programme 2

GENDER EQUALITY:

This programme is charged with the responsibility of


promoting gender equality and women empowerment.

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Following is the outline of activities which will be
implemented during the period under review:

• 1. National Gender Policy and National Gender Plan


of Action
The 1997 National Gender Policy was reviewed and
adopted by Parliament in March 2010. Printing,
translation and popularization of the National Gender
Policy will be carried out during this financial year. The
National Gender Plan of Action will also be developed.

• 2. National Gender Mainstreaming Program

Gender sensitization awareness


During the 2009/10 financial year, 1154 females and eight
hundred and fifty three (853) males were reached through
Gender sensitization awareness. Motivational talks for
schools and out of school young people were conducted,
to sensitize and equip them with knowledge about gender
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and sex. Other important gender issues were also
discussed in which two thousand four hundred and thirty
five (2,435) females and one thousand nine hundred and
eighty seven (1,987) males took part. This is an ongoing
program and in this financial year the same workshops
will be conducted in all 13 regions.

 Legal Literacy Awareness on Gender Based Laws


This is an ongoing program and in 2009 three (3)
networking workshops with NDF women soldiers took
place. Eighty five (85) women soldiers were trained on
UN Resolution 1325, the African Charter on People’s
Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa and other gender
based laws. In addition, thirty four (34) community
paralegals were sensitized on gender related laws and the
Namibian Constitution during 2009/10. This sensitization
empowered participants to provide correct information to
their communities and direct them to various institutions
where they can find help. During the 2010/11 financial
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year, the simplification, translation and printing of the UN
Resolution 1325 is underway and refresher paralegal
trainings in all 13 regions will be conducted.

 Strengthening Response of Leadership to Gender


HIV/AIDS, Reproductive Health and Poverty
Issues
This is an ongoing activity targeting Members of the
Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resources,
Social and Community Development with the main
objective to share information and sensitize them on the
linkages between Gender and HIV/AIDS, gender based
violence and poverty. Through this activity MPs interact
with service providers and beneficiaries to document
achievements and challenges faced in implementing
government policies and programs at grassroots, and to
enhance the MPs capacity to mainstream gender in their
parliamentary debates and discussions. During this

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financial year the activity will be expanded to include
more MPs.

 Training for Gender Focal Points (GFPs)


Forty-eight (48) Gender Focal Points were trained in 2009
in basic gender skills to facilitate the process of gender
mainstreaming in various sectors. Advanced gender
training, establishment of a data bank and the appointment
of more GFPs is planned for this financial year.

 Gender Analysis of sector policies


The analysis was undertaken for the Education sector and
is now expanded to the Health and Agricultural sectors.

 Gender Responsive Budgeting


Government made strong commitments to eliminate
poverty and in particular to promote gender equality and
women’s empowerment for sustainable development.
During 2010/11 the Ministry with support from UNDP
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embarked upon gender responsive budgeting analysis of
the four sectors, namely Agriculture, Water and Forestry;
Education; Health and Social Services and Finance.

• Gender Based Violence


Based on the national baseline Assessment of Human
Trafficking conducted in 2009, the MGECW and other
stakeholders have started with the implementation of
recommendations from this study:

 The Zero Tolerance for Gender Based Violence


Media Campaign
The campaign was launched in July 2009 by Right
Honourable Prime Minister Nahas Angula at Oshikango
border post in Ohangwena region. The campaign focuses
on three critical areas: passion killing, baby dumping and
human trafficking. This campaign is earmarked to
continue for a period of three years and the areas of focus

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will be expanded to include other forms of gender based
violence such as rape.

 Shelters/Places of safety for victims/survivors of


GBV
Shelters have been identified and currently being
renovated in all regions. In the 2010/11 financial year
training of key service providers such as social workers,
police officers, immigration officers, and excise officers
will be conducted. The National Gender Based Violence
(GBV) Plan of Action will also be finalized this financial
year.

• 16 Days of Activism against GBV


This is an annual activity commemorated every year from
25 November and culminates into the commemoration of
10 December which is the International Human Rights
Day and also Namibian Women’s Day.

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The amount budgeted for Gender Equality program two
is: Twelve Million Three Hundred and Fourteen
Thousand Namibia Dollars (N$12,314,000) for the 2010
financial year.

Programme 3

COMMUNITY AND INTEGRATED EARLY


CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT:

This programme is tasked with the responsibility to


mobilize, activate and sensitize as well as motivate the
communities to take an active role towards self
development. Through mobilization meetings, community
members especially disadvantaged rural and urban
community are sensitised to identify their development
needs and find solutions to those needs. For the past
financial year mobilization meetings reached a total
number of 2,744 people. For this financial year we are
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aiming to conduct two hundred and sixty (260)
mobilization meetings targeting at least 5,200 people.

• Income Generating Activities (IGAs)


The Ministry manage a grant scheme that supports small
scale innovative ideas to generate income for community
members especially women. IGAs go a long way to
provide income mostly to rural and needy urban
communities who partake in these activities. IGAs also
play a role in promoting employment opportunities and
immensely contribute to combating poverty.
In 2009, a total number of six hundred and fifty (650)
applications for grants were received from all the regions.
Seventy eight (78) projects were and recommended for
funding. The majority of these IGAs are managed by
women, thereby benefitting children, immediate and
extended family members.

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• Participation in local and International Trade
Fairs
The Ministry sponsored 15 projects to participate in local
trade fairs at Ongwediva, Okakarara, Windhoek and
Katima trade fairs. Also, during 2009, the ministry jointly
with Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry and the
Ministry of Trade and Industry sponsored a delegation of
16 entrepreneurs to attend the Malaysia International Food
and Beverage Fair.

This trade fair provided an opportunity for Namibian


entrepreneurs to learn about the possibilities of different
methods of food processing, food preservation and value
addition. Other local and international fairs also provide
opportunities for exposure and business networking. For
the current financial year 2010/11 the ministry is planning
to sponsor five participants to participate in international
trade fairs while sixty five (65) entrepreneurs will
participate in local trade fairs.
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• Integrated Early Childhood Development (IECD)
Integrated Early Childhood Development programme is
very important as it plays a crucial role to child
development and later years of learning. Thus, the
Ministry is responsible for ensuring that communities are
mobilized to establish community-based ECD
Centres/kindergartens, ensure the implementation of the
IECD Policy, discuss the importance of ECD with
communities, promote equitable access to IECD services,
support community efforts by training ECD caregivers,
provide construction materials for ECD centers, equip
ECD centers with educational materials as well as in-door
and out-door equipments.

• National, Regional and Constituency IECD


Committee meetings
The Ministry established a National ECD committee in
each region.

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• ECD Curriculum & Training of caregivers
ECD Curriculum has been finalized and training of
caregivers commenced in Oshana, Omusati and Oshikoto
regions. Sixty (60) caregivers were trained on various
areas of child development, which are: health care and
nutrition, safety, working with children, art & creative
activities and so forth. The ministry planned to train
hundred and eighty (180) ECD caregivers (30 per region)
in six (6) regions (Oshana, Omusati, Oshikoto, Omaheke,
Erongo and Hardap regions) for this financial year.

The amount requires for program three is: Thirty Eight


Million Eight Hundred and Seventy Five Thousand
Namibian Dollars (N$38,875,000).

Honourable Deputy Chairperson


Honourable Members of this August House,

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It is now my humble honor to request this August House
to approve the Ministry’s budget request for 2010/11
financial year to the tune of only (N$521,659,000) Five
Hundred Twenty One Million Six Hundred and Fifty
Nine Thousand

I Thank You

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