Tujoromajo Kasuto
The Popular Democrat Movement (PDM) leader McHenry Venaani today said PDM recognises the rights of all LGBTQI+ individuals on equal terms as every other Namibian citizen under the provisions of the Constitution.
He further shared that the movement will establish a Commission on Minority Groups with a specific terms of reference mandated at listening to the plight of minorities in order to comprehend the magnitude of their issues.
Meanwhile on Abortion, Venaani said that while recognizing women’s right to bodily autonomy, the PDM abides by the relevant legislation on the applicability of abortion under Namibian law.
On Gender and Women rights, he stated that PDM recommits itself to achieving true and meaningful gender equality. “We recognise that women still bear the brunt of poverty, infringements of their rights as humans through violence and rape and remaining on the fringes of the economy.”
Venaani pointed out that women in Namibia still earn less than men for doing the exact same job. Women face war in the streets, at home and in the workplace. The country has become a dangerous space for women and children to live in. Thus he says this must change.
“It is on this basis that the Policy Conference directed that we must finance women in semi-rural areas and create better employment opportunities for women in general. Furthermore, women must be able to access credit and other resources in order to capacitate them in becoming entrepreneurs,” he added.
This was revealed at a media conference the party hosted today to share the outcomes of their recently held policy conference and election review. PDM its policy conference and election review from the 18th to 22nd October 2021 in Otjiwarongo under the theme “shaping PDM policy towards a transformative society”.
The conference was to develop the movements policies on a wide range of various pressing economic, political and societal issues such as land and housing, sustainability, the economy, education, health, climate change, youth unemployment and gender minority rights such as abortion and LGBTQ+ rights.
