Home to only 2.5 million people, Namibia recorded an appalling 1,604 rape cases between January 2019 and June, 2020 – an average of three rape cases a day. This is only the number of reported cases and with the stigma of shame and fear that accompany this crime there are likely more cases that go unreported. Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and femicide swarms Namibia as protesters fight the torment with the Shut It All Down campaign demanding action and justice. 

A four month search for missing 22-year-old mother Shannon Wasserfall closed after the remains of her body were found in Walvis Bay – a discovery that ignited a 3-day protest in the streets of Windhoek and other Namibian cities. 

Through petition, demonstrators have demanded a state of emergency and the participation of SGBV experts in creating a long term solution. They have also called for policy revision, an urgent review of sentencing laws for sex offenders, rapists, and murderers along with the resignation of Namibian gender equality minister, Doreen Sioka. 

In the capital city of Windhoek, protesters have faced police brutality consisting of tear gas, batons and rubber bullets as mostly young Namibian women battle for their right for protection and safety. 

The government announced that plans to establish a special court to fight violence against women is in the works.

 “By #ShutItAllDown, we mean that nobody should continue living freely and fairly, continue economic and commercial activities if women can’t go about their daily lives. We believe it’s unfair. We need to shut the whole country down and address these issues,” active participant, Bertha Tobias explained.

“Instead of taking seriously the demands made by the demonstrators and to take steps to ensure that gender based violence is addressed in a meaningful and constructive way, the police themselves appeared to have engaged in violent action against those exercising their rights to peaceful assembly and express their view,” said Ramjathan-Keogh director of the International Commission of Jurists – African Region condemning the violence targeted toward protesters. 

Ndapwa Alweendo, a spokesperson for a non-profit organization Sister Namibia, said, “There’s a culture of silence in place to keep women and children from speaking out. There’s a stigma about coming out as a survivor of any kind of violence. This has been a problem in the country since the fight for independence.”

“We cannot ignore the glaring statistics that clearly show women and children are the most affected. It is stealing the innocence of our children, killing our women and shattering families across the country,” empathized Neville Andre, Governor of the Erongo region of Namibia. 

Social media is a powerful product of agency that needs to be utilized to document the violence, invite a larger audience to the conversation and possibly create a higher standard of accountability. Experts in human rights crimes and SGBV are imperative in the judicial process to ensure a system that protects women and children. Mental and physical health resources need to be readily available to all victims of crimes without stigma and cost. Accountability and protection are core components needed to safeguard women and children in a male dominated society. 

SGBV has afflicted Namibia through domestic violence against women and girls, sexual violence by non-partners and femicide. At least 200 cases of domestic violence were reported monthly. 

The Covid-19 pandemic has provided a particularly dangerous environment for domestic violence to increase as survivors are forced to isolate with their abusers. According to the Native Magazine, Namibian police have long been accused of negligence towards investigations of violence against women. 

In 2016 and 2018, Namibia set out to implement an action plan against SGBV but neither plans yielded conclusive results. Many blame the lack of longevity and change on the disconnection between the government and civil society organizations. Criticism of the government is connoted as an attack while the real threat of attack resonates with every woman who leaves her home.