By: Hertha Ekandjo
Namibia National Student Organisation (Nanso) vice president Luciano Kambala says the student body supports the Namibian girl child should be allowed to abort if she chooses.
He said that the organisation supports freedom of choice regarding abortion.
“Nanso has always been clear on its position regarding abortion,” said Kambala.
Kambala said this during a press conference on the 17th National Students Congress outcomes that took place Monday.
He further reiterated that during the Nanso general student’s council meeting that was held in Swakopmund in 2021, the student body made it clear that it supports freedom of choice and that the Namibian girl child should be allowed to exercise her right to abort the pregnancy when it is unwanted.
Newly appointed Nanso president Lucia Ndishishi also at the same event, said that the Congress has noted that there is an alarmingly high rate of early and unintended pregnancies, particularly as a result of statutory rape, among learners.
In 2021, Namibia had recorded about 3600 teenage pregnancies by July.
Ndishishi added that Nanso has decided to strengthen existing campaigns and collaborate with key stakeholders to enhance the quality of sexual reproductive health rights education within the Life Skills-based education curriculum in schools.
She further added that the Nanso student congress has observed a shortage of mental health professionals such as qualified social workers and phycologists at the disposal of learners.
“The life skills teachers at some schools are not qualified or properly trained to handle mental health faced issues learners face,” she said.
She said that Nanso is calling on the education ministry to deploy enough social workers to schools and institutions of higher learning on a bi-annual basis to improve and increase access to mental health services to create space for the Namibian child.
According to Ndishishi Nanso, only 17 per cent of girls in rural areas have access to sanitary pads. Looking at the population of the girl-child in rural areas, it is scary that only 17per cent has access to sanitary pads.
“We, therefore, call on the ministry of education to release an immediate directive calling on all schools to have fully functioning and well-equipped sanitary towels,” she said.
On this matter, the vice-president, Kambala, stated that it would take legal action if the education and arts ministry does not act.
“We have informed the ministry of education, arts and culture that should they not take action on the issue of teachers accused of raping learners, we will be taking the matter to court,” said Kambala.
This comes after the Jan Möhr Secondary School rape incident that happened last year February, where a teacher was accused of allegedly raping a learner during school hours on the school premises.
A similar incident was reported in 2015 where a teacher from the People’s Primary School in Katutura was accused of allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl between May and October that same year.
