Role of Women in Natural Resource Management Conference Report

Acknowledgements
Acronyms
The Namibia Country Pilot Partnership Progamme for Integrated
Sustainable Land Management, on behalf of its implementing partners the
Ministry of Environment and Tourism and the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP), would like to thank the Omusati Regional Council
for hosting this National Conference on the Role of Women in Natural
Resource Management. The Omusati Regional Council provided the ideal
setting for the dynamic conference.
Our further acknowledgements go to the presenters and participants at the
conference for their participation and contributions.
The CPP also wishes to thank the Ministry of Environment and Tourism,
UNDP, CALLC, Namibia Development Trust, Nyae Nyae Development
Foundation of Namibia, Integrated Agro Environmental Services, Desert
Research Foundation, Eudafano Women’s Cooperative and the GIZ for
their photo contributions.
ABS
CALLC
CBA
CBNRM
CBO
CCA
CONTILL
COP
CPP
CRIAA
SADC
CSO
DRFN
EWC
FIRMs
GEF
GIZ
HOGRAN
ICEMA
IGM
IR-ABS
Framework Policy for Access and Benefit-Sharing
Enhancing Institutional and Human Resource Capacity
through Local Level Coordination Project
Community -Based Adaptation
Community-Based Natural Resource Management
Community Based Organizations
Climate Change Adaptation Project
Conservation Tillage
Conference of the Parties
Country Pilot Partnership
Centre for Research Information Action in Africa Southern
African Development and Consulting
Civil Society Organization
Desert Research Foundation of Namibia
Eudufano Women's Cooperative
Forums for Integrated Resource Management
Global Environmental Fund
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit
Hoodia Growers Association of Namibia
Integrated Community-Based Ecosystem Management
Project
Innovative Grants Mechanism
International Regime on Access and Benefit-Sharing
2 3

IRDNC
ISLM SAM
LLM
MAWF
MCA
MDG
MET
NACSO
NCCP
NDP
NDT
NGO
NNF
NOA
PGH
PGS
SADC
SME
UNCBD
UNDP
UNIFEM
Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation
Integrated Sustainable Land Management Support/
Adaptive Management Project
Local-Level Monitoring
Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry
Millennium Challenge Account
Millennium Development Goals
Ministry of Environment and Tourism
Namibian Association of CBNRM-Support Organizations
National Climate Change Policy
National Development Plan
Namibia Development Fund
Non-Governmental Organization
Namibia Nature Foundation
Namibian Organic Association
Planned Grazing through Herding
Participatory Guarantee System
Southern African Development Community
Small and Medium, Enterprises
United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity
United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Development Fund for Women
Content
Acknowledgements 2
Acronyms 3
Content 5
Introduction to the 6
Conference 6
Gender 8
Mainstreaming and Natural Resource 8
Management 8
Focus Points - Chapter 2 9
Gender 10
Mainstreaming In Natural Resource 10
Management Policies 10
Focus Points - Chapter 3 12
Gender Mainstreaming In Practice: Participation of
Women in Planning, Decision-Making and 13
Implementation of Innovative 13
Sustainable Land Management 13
Practices 13
Focus Points - Chapter 4 22
Tools Available for the Combined 23
Achievement of MDGs 1, 3 and 7 23
Formalization of 26
Emerging SMEs in 26
pursuit of MDGs 1, 3 and 7 26
Focus Points - Chapter 6 29
Lessons Learned 30
Conclusion 34
Annex 1: List of Participants 36
4 5

Introduction to the
Conference
In Southern Africa, more than two thirds of women depend on land and
other natural resources for their livelihoods. They are a critical support
to the agriculture sector, producing 90 per cent of all food crops and
providing 80 per cent of the labour. In addition they play a key role in the
management and use of indigenous plants, based on sound traditional
knowledge practices. Some of these practices include; collecting water,
fuel and fodder, for domestic and income-generating use, as well as
overseeing land and water resources. Yet, it is typically not women who
benefit from such activities, but rather men. The table below provides a
synopsis on how women, who make up the majority of the rural population,
lag behind in employment, income-generation and overall natural resource
consumption.
Chapter 1
1.2 Objectives of the Conference
The core objectives of the conference were to;
●●
share, demonstrate and document the role
of women in natural resource management,
taking into consideration innovative practices
to combat land degradation and pursue
sustainable natural resource management;
●●
enhance platforms for the sharing of
knowledge, practices and experiences;
●●
facilitate networking among practitioners,
focusing on local-level and on-the-ground
women practitioners;
●●
document the lessons, practices,
experiences and knowledge, emanating
from presentations and then circulate to land
managers in Namibia and abroad; and
●●
extract cross-Millennium Development Goal
(MDG) practices and lessons, in pursuit
of three specific goals: MDG 1 (Eradicate
Extreme Poverty and Hunger, MDG 3
(Promote Gender Equality and Empower
Women) and MDG 7 (Ensure Environmental
an excellent opportunity to draw attention
to the linkages between gender equality
and combating of land degradation; both of
which are given high priority in Namibia’s
development framework. Women often
serve as the “invisible” managers of natural
resources, with little roles in relevant decisionmaking
processes and benefit-sharing. It is
only in recent times that the government and
partner institutions have set in motion the
process of emancipating and empowering
women. Natural resource management is
one of the key areas where this occurs. The
conference took stock of the situation and
assessed the opportunities and challenges
for improving the role of women in this area.
Inequalities are compounded by patriarchal
structures, which make it difficult for women to
own and access land, financial resources and
markets. These very structures further inhibit the
meaningful participation of women in decisionmaking,
the results of which ultimately impact
The national conference on “The Role of Women in Natural Resources
Management” took place from 13 - 15 October 2010 at the Omusati Regional
Council, in Outapi. The conference was organized by the Country Pilot
Partnership Programme for Integrated Sustainable Land Management
(CPP), an initiative of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) in
partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The aim of the CPP is to combat land degradation using integrated crosssectoral
approaches, which enable Namibia to attain environmental
sustainability, ensuring the integrity of dry-land ecosystems and ecosystem
services. 80 delegates attended the conference representing government
agencies, partner institutions, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs),
civil society and the media.
1.1 Conference Theme: “Innovation in Combating Land Degradation:
The Role of Women”
The theme of the conference refers to the central role of women in pioneering
innovative approaches to combating land degradation in Namibia. Land
degradation has been recognized by the Namibian Government as a serious
problem, requiring remedial intervention. The impact of climate change is
further exacerbating the threat of land degradation and biodiversity loss.
Given their close contact with the resource base, their provider-role of the
family, their traditional knowledge and their openness to new approaches;
women have been identified as key “agents of change” in leading this
intervention process. This conference reflected on some of Namibia’s
experiences with this approach and explored some of the challenges and
opportunities that have been experienced.
Male Female
Unemployment rate - broad (2008) 44% 58%
Rural Unemployment (2008) 47% 53%
Rural Population (2008) 41% 53%
Urban Population (2008) 49% 51%
Average Household Income* (N$) 51,912 31,402
Total Annual Consumption* (N$) 50,113 30,465
Sustainability).
1.3 Rationale of the Conference
●●
The conference coincided with the UNIFEM
International Day of Rural Women, which is
celebrated annually on 15 October. This was
them as the managers of the resources. Thus,
Namibia represents a paradoxical situation
where women serve as custodians of natural
resources, but are excluded from the benefits
derived from its management, use and planning
processes.
6 7

Chapter 2
Gender
Mainstreaming and
Natural Resource
Management
2.1 What is gender mainstreaming
The United Nations Economic and Social Council defines gender
mainstreaming as, “the process of assessing the implications for women and
men of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programmes,
in all areas and at all levels. It is a strategy for making women’s as well
as men’s concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design,
implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes
in all political, economic and societal spheres, so that women and men
benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated.”
In practice, gender mainstreaming means identifying gaps in gender equality
through the use of sex-disaggregated data. It also includes developing
strategies to close those gaps, putting resources and expertise into
implementing strategies for gender equality, monitoring implementation,
and holding individuals and institutions accountable for results. Gender
mainstreaming is not an end in itself, but rather a process whose ultimate
goal is to achieve gender equality (MDG 3).
2.2 The Gender Mainstreaming Process in Namibia
Namibia’s gender agenda is lead by the Ministry of Gender Equality and
Child Welfare, with support from a number of civil society organizations
(CSOs). International frameworks such as the Beijing Platform for Action
(developed in 1995 as the global policy framework for gender equality),
Namibia’s adoption of the MDGs in 2000, as well as its ratification of the
SADC Protocol on Gender, and has given considerable momentum to the
gender mainstreaming process.
Namibia has had a national gender policy and plan of action in place since
1997. This policy was recently reviewed and revised with an implementation
strategy covering the period of 2009-2018. The policy and strategy seeks to
address twelve areas of concern, of which the following are most strongly
linked to natural resource management:
●●
Poverty and rural development
●●
Education and training
●●
Health and HIV/AIDS
●●
Trade and economic empowerment
●●
Governance and decision-making
●●
Media, information and communication
●●
The environment
The strategy recognizes that gender equality is a prerequisite for sustainable
development and economic growth in Namibia.
It further states that the adoption and upholding
of gender mainstreaming will be the strategy for
strengthening women’s empowerment and for
Focus Points:
eliminating gender inequalities in all sectors and
institutional policies, laws and programmes.
This process is already well underway, particularly
in the women-dominated natural resource
management sector, where a number of genderfriendly
initiatives are implemented using gender
disaggregated data. The remainder of this report
will analyze gender mainstreaming in this sector,
mainly in terms of policy development, planning
and implementation of interventions, with
reference to other cross-cutting themes such as
capacity building.
●●
Women are most dependent on the land and other natural resources, and can
therefore play a critical role in pioneering innovative approaches to combat land
degradation in Namibia.
●●
Because women are often considered “invisible” managers of natural resources,
it is vital that the Government and its partners continue to examine the challenges
and opportunity that women face, particularly in the area of natural resource
management.
●●
Current gender development strategies, that narrow the inequality gap, have to be
improved to achieve the ultimate goal of gender equality (MDG 3)
●●
The adopting and upholding of gender mainstreaming is the key to strengthening
women and empowering them in all sectors.
gender mainstreaming means identifying
gaps in gender equality through the use
of sex-disaggregated data
8 9

Gender
Mainstreaming In
Natural Resource
Management Policies
Chapter 3
Namibia has given particular
priority to achieving its MDGs
3.1 The Macro-Level Policy Framework
The need for gender equality and the empowerment of women is well
represented in most of Namibia’s natural resource-related policies
and legislation. Both are prioritized in Namibia’s national development
framework of Vision 2030 and the five-year national development plans
(NDPs). The current NDP3 (2007/8-2011/12) lays out a number of
measurable targets to assess the extent to which these aims are being
reached, and merge well with those of the MDGs.
Namibia has given particular priority to achieving its MDGs. It has been
argued that the proper management of natural resources is linked to all
eight MDGs; however MDGs 1, 3 and 7 are of particular significance to the
role of women in natural resource management. These are the Eradication
of Extreme Poverty and Hunger; the Promotion of Gender Equality and the
Empowerment of Women; and Ensuring Environmental Sustainability.
The second MDG progress re port, which serves as its mid-term evaluation
shows that there has been remarkable progress under poverty, environment
and gender, with some 2015 targets already achieved. The value of tackling
these three MDGs in an integrated manner has further been recognized
by Namibia.
3.2 Devolution of Rights over Natural Resources
Discrimination against women in terms access to land, finances and security
of tenure are difficult issues
for nations such as Namibia to
address, as they typically bring
elements of customary law and
common law into conflict, which
are both legally recognized in
Namibia. Nevertheless rights to
use a resource (such as land,
water, wildlife or forest products)
and to control access to it are
key factors in sustainable natural
resource management. This is
because they exert a powerful
influence on how resources
are used, the efficiency with
which they are managed,
the distribution of benefits derived, and the
empowerment of the resource users.
Namibia has used three main innovative pieces
of legislation to tackle this challenge so far. Firstly,
the Communal Land Reform Act of 2002 entitles
women to apply for and be granted leaseholds
and customary land rights, as well as rights to
inherit land. Provision is also made through the
Act for women to be represented (minimum four)
on each communal land board, which serve to
supervise the allocation and cancellation of
customary land by traditional leaders. To date
there are 155 members of communal land
boards, of which 98 are men and 57 women
(Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare
2010).
Secondly, the Nature Conservation Amendment
Act of 1996, and the Forest Act of 2001 have
devolved authority over natural resources to
local communities in communal areas in the
shape of conservancies and community forests.
These mechanisms have emerged as great
platforms for communities to benefit from the
sustainable use of their natural resources and
for tackling social problems such as poverty and
HIV/AIDS. Women have been at the forefront of
this process.
3.3 Gender Mainstreaming in Policies under
Development
Two pertinent natural resource managementrelated
policies currently under development,
through the MET, are the National Climate
Change Policy (NCCP) and the Framework
Policy for Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS)
Legislation. Both of these policies are at different
stages of development but offer opportunities for
gender mainstreaming.
Namibia, as an extremely arid country, highly
dependent on climate-sensitive sectors such as
agriculture, fishing and natural resources, is one
of the most vulnerable countries to the impacts
of climate change. It is thus in clear need of a
climate change policy, which will guide Namibia’s
approach to adaptation and also serve as a key
means for attracting resources into areas such as
renewable energy, in which Namibia possesses
a known comparative advantage. The NCCP has
been under development since early 2009, and
held its final consultative stakeholder workshop
in September 2010.
The draft NCCP recognises the enhanced
vulnerability of women to climate change. Given
their roles of securing food, water and firewood
for the family in rural areas, women are likely to
be adversely affected by increasing temperatures
as well as flood and drought events. Thus the
draft NCCP recognises the key need to ensure
that:
●●
communities are empowered and participate
meaningfully in the planning, testing and roll
out of adaptation and mitigation activities in
both rural and urban areas (possibility for
women to be the “agents of change”)
●●
Ensure that climate change response
activities are gender sensitive
●●
Include gender and climate change in
the curriculum of education and training
programs.
The concept of ABS emerged directly from the
third objective of the United Nations Convention
on Biological Diversity (UNCBD), which is the
fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising
from the sustainable use of genetic resources.
An International Regime on ABS (IR-ABS) is
currently under negotiation at COP10 to the
UNCBD in Nagoya, Japan, to determine a
regulatory framework to ensure both fair access
10 11

to genetic resources (for companies, research
institutes etc.) as well as fair equitable sharing
of the benefits from the resource use (typically to
communities).
Women, as de facto managers of biodiversity
and custodians of traditional knowledge, stand to
be at the centre of this benefit-sharing process.
Evidence of this in Namibia is already found in the
ABS agreement for commiphora resin signed in
2010. Namibia has developed its own draft ABS
legislation, which will be finalized once the IR-
ABS negotiations are completed. This legislation
will seek to improve the role of women in natural
Focus Points:
resource management by:
●●
●●
●●
granting women equal opportunities and
conditions, which allow them to participate
fully in decision-making; the negotiation of
ABS agreements; and in benefit sharing
reviewing and modifying customary practices
in order to secure the full and effective
participation of women
recognizing and exposing women’s roles
within their communities, including the
existence and importance of genderdifferentiated
knowledge of biodiversity
resources.
●●
The proper management of natural resources influences the achievement of all
eight Millennium Development goals, but most significantly MDG 1, 3 and 7.
●●
Rights to a resources and the control over it, is a key issue in natural resource
management, as it empowers the user to manage, distribute and benefit from the
resource.
●●
The Ministry of Environment and Tourism has drafted the National Climate Change
Policy, which recognizes the vulnerability of women to climate change, aims to
guard women against its adverse effects.
●●
The Framework Policy for Access and Benefit-Sharing grants women equal
opportunities and conditions to participate in decision-making.
Chapter 4
Gender Mainstreaming In Practice:
Participation of Women in Planning,
Decision-Making and
Implementation of Innovative
Sustainable Land Management
Practices
In most of Namibia’s communal
areas, the role of women has
historically been as housewives
taking responsibility for domestic
work such as cooking, washing,
and rearing the children. Women
were typically heavily involved in
crop cultivation and associated
labour such as tilling, sowing seed,
weeding and harvesting. However
key decisions, such as when to plant
and harvest were usually dictated
by husbands or male elders. This
was the result of cultural beliefs and patriarchal values, which excluded
women from decision-making processes that affected their own actions,
livelihoods and environment.
After Independence this situation started changing, as the Government
has sought to overhaul the unbalanced policies of the past. In addition, the
ratification of the UN Rio Conventions on Biodiversity, Climate Change and
Desertification has opened up Namibia to international information sharing
networks and innovative approaches aiming at improved natural resource
management. Other international mechanisms such as the Beijing Platform
for Action, the MDGs, and various SADC protocols have also reached
down to the local level at the gender, poverty and environment interface.
4.1 Background: The CBNRM and CPP Programmes
The CBNRM programme and the CPP are at the forefront of participatory
approaches to planning, decision-making and implementation. Participatory
decision-making instruments such as community visioning and forums for
integrated resource management (FIRMs), first used during Namibia’s
Action Programme to Combat Desertification, have been built on by
these programmes. This has opened up opportunities for women to play
a lead role in the planning and implementation of their own development
initiatives.
The devolution of rights over wildlife and other natural resources to communal
conservancies and community forests has created the need for democratic
approaches for the management of these institutions. Most conservancies
and community forests follow two approaches towards decision-making;
12 13

epresentative democracy (where a committee
is mandated to take decisions for the members)
or participatory democracy (where members
have a say in all major decisions). The Namibian
Association of CBNRM-Support Organizations
(NACSO) of 2008, recorded that conservancies
now have committees composed of more than
25 per cent women, and that 37 per cent of all
committee members were women in 2007.
The CPP Programme also operates at the
national level. It is managed with inputs
from seven different line ministries; NGOs;
donors; CBOs; and the private sector. Its lead
implementing agencies are the MET and MAWF;
Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF); Namibia
Development Trust (NDT); Desert Research
Foundation of Namibia (DRFN); and Integrated
Rural Development and Nature Conservation.
These various agencies make use of a number
of participatory approaches to decision-making
through the three sub-projects of the CPP;
(a) The Integrated Sustainable Land Management
Support/Adaptive Management Project
(ISLM SAM), whose mission is to find innovative
ways of manag ing land in a way that restores the
natural en vironment and income-generation
(b) The Climate Change Adaptation Project
(CCA). CCA through Improvement of Traditional
Crops and Livestock Farming develop and pilot
a range of effective climate change coping
mechanisms that assist farmers in Namibia’s
North-Central regions
(c) The CALLC Project: Enhancing Institutional
and Human Resource Capacity through Local
Level Coor dination of Integrated Rangeland
Management and Support. Its mission is to test
ways for communities to work together with
Government and other bodies to better manage
grazing lands.
4.2 Participatory Planning Approaches
4.2.1 The FIRM Approach
The CALLC Project, implemented in the northcentral
regions through the MAWF and NDT
has established 14 FIRMs in the north-central
regions. FIRMs represent an attempt to organize
communities and strengthen appropriate
institutions at community level. Through this
communities spearhead and sustain communitybased
SLM. A CBO is set up representing a
cross-section of the community to organize and
plan development activities, while coordinating
support from ‘service providers’. This includes
traditional authorities, government extension
services, NGOs or project teams. With guidance
from these stakeholders, communities identify
alternative land-uses and business opportunities
to support sustainable land management.
Community-based rangeland monitoring
mechanisms are also often initiated through the
FIRM approach.
4.2.2 Community Visioning
Community visioning exercises allow community
members to lead the planning process of
their activities and allow them to accept
responsibilities for implementing the plan. They
also provide a clear understanding and shared
common vision for what needs to be addressed
and achieved within a community. A community
work-plan is typically drafted from the visioning
exercise, which includes the overall vision of
the community, the activities to be undertaken,
the responsible parties for executing the chosen
activities, the timeframe, and the budgetary
costs involved. This approach is a core part of
the ISLM SAM sub-project to find innovative new
ways of managing land in a sustainable manner.
4.2.3 Other Participatory Approaches
A wide variety of other participatory approaches
to decision-making and planning are also
being pursued around Namibia. Local Level
Coordination is another approach being used
by the NDT in the north-central regions, in
which parties having a stake in land resource
management work together to seek innovative
solutions for challenges related to land
degradation, The Community Action Cycle and
Experiential Life Cycle approaches are being
pursued in the Nyae Nyae Conservancy.
4.3 Involvement of Women in Innovative
Sustainable Land Management Practices
4.3.1 Training and Capacity Building
A clear need to train women was outlined in
the opening of the conference so that women
would be able to manage land using sound
scientific knowledge. This need is reinforced
by the new innovative techniques of natural
resources management that are being tested
based on the participatory processes outlined in
the previously. For these techniques to succeed
new skills, tools and competencies are required
at community level. The table below gives an
example of the types of training conducted by the
CPP Programme as per the different regions. Of
the total 1,388 beneficiaries, approximately 800
or 58 per cent are women.
4.3.2 Innovative Practices
4.3.2.1 Rangeland Management
The two most promising approaches to
sustainable rangeland management being
pioneered in Namibia are Local-Level Monitoring
(LLM) and Planned Grazing through Herding
(PGH).
LLM is usually facilitated through FIRMs and is
a tool for improved decision-making based on
the monitoring of four biophysical indicators.
This is done by local farmers using a field guide
developed for the specific geographical area
with tables and graphs that are easy to fill in.
Discussion and application of the results from the
monitoring is done by communities, preferably
facilitated by relevant service providers such as
agricultural extension technicians. Monitoring
serves as a means to gather information that is
subsequently used by communities for decisionmaking
purposes. In this way technical and
scientific skills are applied by communities.
The PGH approach is a combination of modern
range management science with traditional and
indigenous knowledge and practice. It seeks to
tackle rangeland degradation by addressing the
frequency of grazing and the subsequent impacts
on perennial grasses. It involves combining
herds from neighbouring farms and herding all
Most conservancies and community forests follow two
approaches towards decision-making; representative
democracy (where a committee is mandated to take decisions
for the members) or participatory democracy (where members
have a say in all major decisions)
14 15

FIRMs represent an attempt to organize
communities and strengthen appropriate
institutions at community level
The Conservation Tillage project (CONTILL) has
made waves in recent years by pioneering an
environmentally-friendly approach to increasing
yields of the staple crop Mahangu
livestock from a single or several water points
to a different patch to graze each day, based
on an agreed grazing and land use plan. This
is approach has been found to have positive
effects on perennial grasses and also allows for
increases in stocking rates.
There is good scope for integration between the
two approaches, particularly in the analysis of
rangeland condition. Both approaches are based
on participatory methodologies and therefore
can serve as entry points to mainstream
women into livestock management, which is
still mainly the domain of men. PGH was first
pioneered in the Kunene region and is now
being implemented alongside LLM in seven
villages in Otjozondjupa. Table 3 shows how 165
farmers have been trained in holistic rangeland
management in Otjozondjupa and Omaheke.
Unfortunately gender-disaggregated data is
not available. However the CALLC project has
observed an increase in the number of women
involved in livestock management and marketing
in the north-central regions, with the recently
established Uuvuthiya and Okatyali Farmer’s
Association committees composed of 56 per
cent and 80 per cent women respectively.
4.3.2.2 Climate Change Adaptation
Conservation Tillage
The Conservation Tillage project (CONTILL) has
made waves in recent years by pioneering an
environmentally-friendly approach to increasing
yields of the staple crop Mahangu (pearl millet) in
the northern regions of Namibia. The approach
is tailored towards Namibia’s low and erratic
rainfall, as well as to its sandy and degraded soils.
It advocates the use of a ripper furrower/constant
traffic approach to break up the compacted
sub-soil hard pan and ensuring in-field water
harvesting and soil improvement. In the first year
the ripper furrower must be drawn by tractor to
make the initial furrow lines, but an animal-drawn
furrower may be used in the subsequent years
following the previous rip furrow lines (constant
traffic system). The use of the same furrows
increases water harvesting and allows for the
concentrated build-up of soil improvement at the
base of the furrow.
On-farm trials started five years ago and have
been undertaken on 226 demonstration plots,
with inputs (technology, seeds, fertiliser and
herbicide) and advice provided by the project.
Labour, manure and the proper maintenance
of the trials were the responsibility of the local
farmers. Women constituted 129 of the 226
smallholder beneficiaries, reflecting their lead
role in crop production. Average yields for
Mahangu have consistently reached up to six
times the national average. This has prompted
the approach to be tested for maize and cowpea,
demonstrating equally excellent results. The
CONTILL project believes that the reversal of
land degradation by women farmers is entirely
feasible, over time, in the northern regions.
Nevertheless the technique faces challenges
relating to the possibility of up-scaling, and its
adoption by women. Service providers need
to be converted to the approach, as current
mainstream approaches, such as disc harrowing,
are causing compaction and worsening of the
hard pan. The project reports that Namibian
smallholder farmers, especially women, are not
yet sufficiently empowered to benefit from the
approach. Lack of access to seasonal finance,
manure and technology are all major constraints.
Additionally, there are no formal markets available
for cowpea, which plays an important role in crop
rotation, given its ability to fix nitrogen.
Community Gardening Projects
A total of 30 smallholder farmers are being
supported in the Omusati region with the
practice of drip irrigation agriculture. This is
the most water efficient approach to irrigation,
and a variety of crops are being grown on the
5-20 hectare plots, including tomatoes, squash,
cabbages and onions. Women are mainly
employed on these farms, especially during the
harvesting season. Most of these women also
buy produce directly from the gardens and re-sell
them in the informal markets of adjacent villages,
towns and resettlement areas. The CCA project
is in the process of streamlining this activity by
constructing a central distribution centre from
where women and other buyers will be able to
buy the produce at wholesale prices.
Others
The CCA Project has been piloting a number
of other potentially useful methods of climate
change adaptation. A Climate Change Adaptation
Community Toolkit has been produced and is
16 17

eing disseminated to 200 local farmers, as a
means to create awareness and action on these
issues. Additionally, 210 Boer goats have been
distributed to communities. These represent
good adaptation options, as they are highly heat,
water-stress and pest tolerant, and require less
biomass than other breeds. Water harvesting
techniques have also been piloted with rainwater
harvested from roofs into 30 tanks at public
buildings such as schools and hospitals, as
well as 40 tanks at the homes of vulnerable
individuals and families. Gender disaggregated
data is being collected from the beneficiaries of
these initiatives.
4.3.2.3 Organic Farming
The Namibian Organic Association (NOA) was
launched in 2009 with a vision to contribute to a
healthy environment, to attain increased incomes
and to improve livelihoods through the adoption
of organic agriculture in Namibia. The objectives
of the NOA are to;
●●
●●
●●
●●
●●
promote Namibian organic products locally
and internationally by specifically connecting
small-scale and communal farmers with
markets;
build capacity in organic training, education,
extension and research;
promote organic production systems and wild
harvesting in Namibia;
increase awareness and attract support for
organic agriculture in Namibia; and
facilitate organic matters on a local and
international level.
While many small-scale farmers are in effect
practising organic agriculture in communal
lands, issues of standardisation, certification and
knowledge and markets access, prevent them
from benefiting from the higher prices associated
with organic produce. The NOA is seeking to
bridge these gaps by involving communities and
small-scale farmers in the organic movement.
With support from the CPP Programme, training
courses in organic farming have already been
held, and a participatory guarantee system
(PGS) has been set up, whereby a number
of small-scale farmers adopt a set of organic
standards. These farmers then adopt a common
logo to identify their produce as being produced
according to the standards of the PGS. Although
this approach is still in its early stages, women
are to play a key role in its adoption and
implementation.
4.3.2.4 Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency
and Sustainable Land Management
The linkages between renewable energy, energy
efficiency and sustainable land management are
perhaps not immediately obvious. However when
it is considered that an estimated 90 per cent of
rural households depend on wood for cooking
and heating, it is clear that the sourcing of wood
for these needs is a major driver of deforestation
in Namibia. Additionally, firewood is becoming
scarce and expensive, with women and children
forced to travel ever longer distances to collect
and buy it. In this context, there is much scope
for the use of solar cookers and energy efficient
stoves to relieve pressure on Namibia’s trees
and forests.
One project implemented by Consulting Services
Africa is aiming at promoting of sustainable
use of biomass energy resources through
effective marketing and the production of energy
efficient stoves. This will then reduce the cost
and unsustainable consumption of wood fuel
in Namibia. Three permanent stove production
centres have been constructed in Windhoek,
Uuyoka and Onangombe village, providing
employment opportunities for the approximately
147 artisans that have been trained. These
include, according to regions; Khomas (12),
Omusati (24), Oshikoto (37), Otjozondjupa (22),
Average yields for Mahangu have
consistently reached up to six times
the national average
Erongo (11), Kunene (18), Hardap (11) and Karas
(12). Most of these beneficiaries are women and
women-headed households. It is estimated that
the stove production retail SMEs have generated
approximately US$12 000 in sales (MET 2009).
As with much energy efficient and renewable
energy technologies, the costs are expensive
in the short-term, but very cost effective over
the long-term, and “tsotso stoves” offer an
effective way to mitigate climate change and
land degradation. The fact that they emit less
smoke also offers considerable health benefits to
women. The project found that adoption by rural
communities is most easily achieved through
physical demonstrations on site, publications
and radio programmes in local languages.
The awareness and promotional campaigns
for the fuel-efficient stoves reached more than
240,000 people across the country (Ministry of
Environment and Tourism 2009).
Additional opportunities exist for the production of
charcoal, bioenergy and biochar, especially from
the bush-encroached lands of central Namibia.
4.3.2.5 Alternative Livelihoods
The need to generate alternative income sources
for livelihoods is an important coping strategy
in rural areas, and often serves as a means of
reducing pressure on the resource base. Women
are at the forefront of this enterprise countrywide.
This practice is typically closely linked with the
expanding tourism sector. Examples of activities
being supported, which were presented at this
conference include:
●●
●●
●●
●●
Basket weaving and craft production in
Kavango and Caprivi
Guinea fowl and chicken rearing in the northcentral
regions
Cultural tourism camp at Tsintsabis, where
San women are educating tourists on how
they use indigenous plants and other cultural
practices. Five women are employed full time
at the camp
Devil’s Claw harvesting, thatching grass and
cattle dung, collection and use of wild fruits,
traditional beads, ostrich eggs and Taboeti, in
the Nyae Nyae Conservancy
18 19

The CBNRM Programme...
has recognized HIV/AIDS as a
challenge to its activities
4.3.2.6 HIV and AIDS
The HIV/AIDS pandemic is a considerable
constraint to the achievement of sustainable
land management in Namibia, which has the fifth
worst prevalence rate of any country in the world.
Loss of household heads, absence from work,
productivity reduction, loss of valuable expertise
and indigenous knowledge, are some of the ways
in which HIV/AIDS is impacting on sustainable
land management. The CBNRM Programme,
which has the ability to influence this problem in
a positive and negative manner, has recognized
HIV/AIDS as a challenge to its activities. CBNRM
continues to bring cash benefits into rural areas;
increasing access to social vices such as alcohol
and drugs abuse, which greatly increases the
chance of risky sexual behavior and the spread
of the pandemic.
With this in mind, the Namibian Association of
CBNRM Support Organizations (NACSO) has
been coordinating a response to mitigating the
impacts of HIV/AIDS on the CBNRM Programme
and its estimated 360 000 beneficiaries since
2003. The strategy is led by NGOs supporting the
different conservancies with policies on HIV/AIDS
and is being established in 20 conservancies
thus far. Women are leading this process, based
on their well-known skills in care-giving and
education. Conservancy HIV/AIDS committees,
consisting of 80 per cent women membership,
have been established. Peer educators are
another strategy being used, with 70 per cent of
these being women. Over a period of two years,
these educators reached out to approximately 27
000 conservancy members.
Phase One (2003-2008) focused on raising
awareness on prevention. The focus has since
shifted to behavioral change, as it was found
that HIV/AIDS was still increasing despite 80
per cent awareness of the pandemic in most
regions. An in-depth report on HIV/AIDS in eight
conservancies in Caprivi and Erongo, prompted
a new behavior change communication strategy
aimed at reducing the driving factors of the
pandemic, specifically;
●●
●●
●●
risky behavior due to drug and alcohol abuse;
multiple and concurrent partners; and
unwillingness to go for testing and counseling.
Progress has been noted during the two years
of this approach. For example 80 per cent
of conservancy members took a HIV test,
compared to the baseline of 63 per cent in 2008.
Nevertheless, high levels of alcohol abuse,
and the fact that 11 per cent of males reported
having more than one sexual partner (compared
to 1 per cent of females), continue to be serious
challenges.
4.4 Preliminary Findings
The various participatory approaches described
in section 4.2 are providing opportunities for the
involvement of women in planning, decisionmaking
and implementation of sustainable land
management interventions. From its visioning
and FIRM approaches, the CPP has noted that
women have made up 44 per cent of the meetings
and workshops. Furthermore, it is acknowledged
that women participation in natural resource
management has increased by 40 per cent in
the last 7-8 years in the Otjozondjupa region,
compared to less than 10 per cent in the past.
Women are now leading local organisations such
as farmer associations, conservancies, water
point committees and craft projects. The NDT
reports that its activities in seven pilot sites, in
the north-central regions, are directly or indirectly
reaching about 56 250 people. Women, about
65 per cent, play the biggest role in issues of
sustainable land management and food security.
Participatory demonstrations of innovations,
such as conservation tillage and tsotso stoves are
also increasingly being adopted in communities.
Exposure visits and information sharing between
communities is also having a similar effect in the
adoption of the PGH approach. The increasing
involvement of women in committees and
associations is especially exposing them to
these new approaches.
A study commissioned by the CPP to understand
the dynamics of local level decision-making
processes in communities (Ambrosius Haingura,
Uukwaludhi, and ≠Khoadi //Hoas Conservancies)
has shown that women still do not occupy key
decision-making positions in committees. Even
during the identification of sites and visioning
processes, the voice of women was noted as not
being dominant, even though there were a large
number of women present in these meetings.
Traditional practices remain a challenge to
ensuring the full participation of women in
decision-making processes in some regions.
There is a clear need to sensitize men to enable
them to understand that women are equal
partners in all developmental activities. The
increasing visibility of women in key strategic
positions at all levels can assist with this process.
20 21

Focus Points:
●●
The FIRM Approach, Community Visioning, and other participatory approaches
in natural resource management are allowing for more involvement of women in
planning and decision-making.
●●
Some regions have reported that women participation has drastically increased,
with women leading farmer associations, water point committee and craft projects.
●●
Traditional practices, however, remain a challenge for women, hampering them
from fully participating in decision-making process.
●●
There is a serious need to sensitize men to understand the equal role women have
to play as development partners.
Tools Available for
the Combined
Achievement of MDGs
1, 3 and 7
Access to finance, markets and information have been quoted as major
constraints to women’s participation in sustainable land management and
rural development. Two new innovative approaches have emerged in recent
years to tackle these problems and these also offer much potential for an
integrated approach to tackling MDGs 1, 3 and 7, namely: the eradication
of extreme poverty and hunger; promotion of gender equality and the
empowerment of women; and ensuring environmental sustainability.
These approaches are the CPP’s Innovative Grants Mechanism (IGM)
and the GEF-funded Small Grants Programme (SGP). Additionally, the
MET is reaching out to rural communities in a bid to improve access to
essential information relating to environmental education.
5.1 The Innovative Grants Mechanism (IGM) and Small Grants
Programme (SGP)
The IGM and the SGP aim at ensuring the equal ability of women and men
to avail and benefit from financial and technical support at the local level.
Both grant facilities support community-based ideas, which combine the
sustainable use of natural resources with income-generation and capacity
Chapter 5
22 23

uilding. The IGM and SGP not only provide
micro-finance to communities, but also assist
them in the development of entrepreneurial skills
and partnerships. In this way, unemployment,
the root cause of poverty, is being addressed.
Other elements of poverty, including inequality
of income (regional and gender inequalities) and
the impacts of HIV/AIDS, can also be reduced
through these mechanisms.
of the 19 projects that are currently being
supported through the IGM.
The IGM is commited to capacity building
among communities in order for the effective
implementation of sustainable land management
initiatives. With the exception of beekeeping
training, the gender balance of the training
provided is typically neutral.
US$ Allocated per Region by the SGP
600,000
548,386
500,000
US$
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
305,494
277,960
273,800
237,325
207,510
203,585
148,000
152,748
126,542
124,034
50,000
2,000
Caprivi
Erongo
Hardap
Karas
Kavango
Khomas
Kunene
Ohangwena
Omaheke
Omusati
Oshana
Oshikoto
Otjozondjupa
Hon. Tataati Simon Shileka
The SGP has been operational since 2004 and
has supported community projects to the tune of
N$ 18 million. The CPP began in 2008 and
initailly supported 17 projects worth N$ 4.2
million. The funding ceilings of the two
mechanisms are US$ 50 000 or N$ 250 000
respectively. It has been reported that some 45
000 community members have already benefited
directly and indirectly from the two grant
programmes. The table below gives an overview
The SGP has since 2004 supported communitybased
projects in the focal areas of biodiversity,
climate change, persistent organic pollutant
elimination, international waters, and land
degradation. As part of a global initiative,
Namibia has recently started up a US$ 7 million
community-based adaptation (CBA) project
that will be administered through the SGP. Its
specific objective is to foster capacity among
natural resource dependent-communities for
the MET is reaching out to rural
communities in a bid to improve access
to essential information relating to
environmental education
them to sustainably manage resources in the
face of climate change. The CBA recognizes
the need for context-specific adaptation projects
that identify local vulnerabilities, draw upon local
knowledge and capacity, and directly involve
local stakeholders. It is therefore a promising
approach to ensure that both men and women
are equipped to adapt to climate change. The
CBA further recognizes women’s vulnerability
to climate change, and their role of “agents of
change” to drive new adaptation approaches.
5.2 Environmental Education and Awareness
Raising
Both mechanisms face challenges in terms
of community access and awareness of
the mechanisms. Both make use of local
newspapers to transmit calls for proposals, while
submission forms for the IGM are downloadable
from the MET website and available at regional
council offices. Increasing overall awareness of
the opportunities of these mechanisms among
communities is an important issue, and it was
suggested to make use of local radio broadcasts.
The MET’s network of environmental education
centres has an important role in this regard,
including facilitating access to general
environmental education material in remote rural
areas. This network currently covers Windhoek,
Waterberg, Namutoni, Ondangwa, Katima Mulilo,
Keetmanshoop and Tsumkwe, with an outreach
programme targeting schools and communities
in more remote areas. There is a considerable
scope to make use of conservancy offices as
information centres in regards to environmental
information.
24 25

Chapter 6
Formalization of
Emerging SMEs in
pursuit of MDGs 1, 3
and 7
A number of SMEs have emerged in rural areas in recent years, based
on sustainable natural resource management. These enterprises are
typically based on the skills and capacities of rural women, and offer much
potential for reducing poverty and inequality, by generating employment
and growth for rural communities. Each of the emerging SMEs vary in
terms of structure, background and support received, however they are
united by the fact that each operates at the interface of sustainable natural
resource management, the empowerment of women and the reduction of
poverty.
6.1 Ndeya Peanut Butter Manufacturers
Ndeya Peanut Butter Manufacturers was set up and run by Ms. Ottilie
Haufiku. Ndeya, which started out with the homemade production of peanut
butter, now operates from its new state-of-the-art manufacturing premises
in Ondangwa. Ndeya supplies the supermarket chain Pick ‘n’ Pay with its
own “Mr. Peanut” brand, and has recently signed a contract to supply the
Shoprite Supermarket chain, with export to Angola well on its way.
Value-addition is the core principle of the business. The peanuts are sourced
from smallholder farmers at the Etunda Irrigation Scheme, from where
they are transported to Ondangwa, and ground into peanut butter. Three
women are employed at the factory for this process, and the company also
carries out its own labeling and packaging. Ndeya received financial and
technical support from the IGM component of the CPP, Ministry of Trade
and Industry, and the Development Bank of Namibia.
6.2 Eudufano Women’s Cooperative
The Eudufano Women’s Cooperative (EWC) was set up in 1999, and
operates from a factory in Ondangwa. The mission of the EWC is “to
sustainably harvest Indigenous Natural Products, mainly Marula products
and Kalahari melon seeds, for fair trade markets; and to mobilize rural
women for membership and participation in capacity building exercises, so
that they can continuously supply quality products and proactively manage
their natural resources for future economic benefits and the mitigation of
rural poverty”. It has received financial and technical support through the
NGO, Centre for Research Information Action in Africa Southern African
Development and Consulting (CRIAA SA-DC) and the GTZ.
The main operations of the business involve the sourcing of Marula fruits
and kernels as well as Kalahari melons from its supply network of some
5 054 women, which are grouped into 22 EWC associations. These
raw materials are then stored, processed and
packaged at the factory in Ondangwa, and
marketed to both local and international buyers.
An impressive range of products are produced
including cold-pressed Marula oil mainly for the
cosmetic market, warm-pressed Marula food
oil, Marula juice and Marula cakes for livestock
feed. Warm-pressed Kalahari melon seed oil, as
well as melon cakes for livestock feed, are also
produced.
The EWC represents an important example
of a homegrown natural resource-based
enterprise that contributes to the up-liftment
and empowerment of women in rural areas.
Research has shown that the income earned by
its web of women suppliers allows them to cover
education, health and transport costs for them
and their children. They are also able to buy
supplementary food for the household and farm
inputs. The EWC is also working in partnership
with the Directorate of Forestry to ensure the
long-term sustainability of the resource base by
instigating a Marula tree planting and training
programme. Research suggests that Namibia
has some of the best Marula cultivars in Southern
African. Forestry officials and communities set
about identifying these genetically superior
trees, from which scions are taken and grafted
to established root stock. The grafted stock is
then returned to communities to ensure the
sustainable long-term supply of top quality
Marula fruits and kernels to the EWC.
6.3 Hoodia Commercialisation
A Hoodia commercialization and poverty
reduction project ran from 2007-2010 with
funding through the European Commission.
The objective was to generate Hoodia SMEs
in southern Namibia to create jobs and provide
alternative income for rural communities. It was
further hoped to commercialize the production
and marketing of Hoodia, and develop it into an
industry that could stimulate economic growth.
The project achieved 300 direct beneficiaries, of
which 70 per cent were women.
The 300 beneficiaries received training on
nursery production, as well as the management
and harvesting of Hoodia. Through this training,
beneficiaries were able to produce 1 500kg
of Hoodia, which translated into earnings of
approximately N$ 2 500 per beneficiary. The plant
that was initially known by the local community
as being wild has now been domesticated and
can be grown without many difficulties, as it
uses little water in a region highly vulnerable to
climate change. The Hoodia grown was tested
and found to be of a very high quality with high
concentrations of the P57 molecule, which
gives Hoodia its much-desired diet-suppressing
properties.
The Hoodia industry in Namibia has been based
on informal, individual efforts of producers
countrywide. A key part of the project was to
institutionalize the industry in order to build
capacity and to empower the local industry.
With this in mind, the project gave considerable
support to strengthening the Hoodia Growers
Association of Namibia (HOGRAN) so that it
could effectively negotiate, liaise and lobby the
interest of all Hoodia growers in Namibia. This
was to be done with the international Hoodia
industry, other stakeholders in Namibia and
relevant Government institutions.
In spite of these positive developments, the
Hoodia industry suffered from sudden market
failure in 2008, when it was dropped from its
South African financer. This caused the project
serious difficulties in finding a market for the final
product. While there is strong anecdotal evidence
of hoodia’s value as a dietary suppressant, there
The EWC represents an important example of a
homegrown natural resource-based enterprise that
contributes to the up-liftment and empowerment of
women in rural areas
26 27

The Hoodia industry in Namibia has been
based on informal, individual efforts of
producers countrywide
are also many other traditional uses, which have
not been adequately researched, such as its use
for lowering blood pressure and sugar levels;
treating gout; and as an aphrodisiac.
6.4 Commiphora Resin and the Kunene
Commiphora Conservancies Association
The Kunene Region is home to a variety of
Commiphora species, many of which are endemic
to the region and are thus unique in the world.
The resin from these species has long been
used by Himba women as ingredients for their
distinct perfumes. The harvesting and marketing
of Commiphora, through conservancies, has
been given considerable support in recent
years mainly through the Integrated Rural
Development and Nature Conservation (IRDNC)
and the Integrated Community-Based Ecosystem
Management (ICEMA) Project. Over 6 000kg was
produced in 2009, and the harvesting process is
overwhelmingly dominated by women.
The five main Commiphora producers: Orupembe,
Marienfluss, Sanitatas, Puros and Okondjombo
conservancies came together to form the Kunene
Commiphora Conservancies Association and
signed a historic ABS agreement with a South
African cosmetics company. The most important
part of the agreement is that it commits both
parties to utilise the resource in a sustainable
way “for the economic and social benefit” of
members of the Association. The agreement is
binding for five years, with company committing
to pay out approximately N$ 78 per kg of resin,
including a fee of approximately N$ 8 for the
traditional-knowledge value and conservation
efforts provided by the conservancies of the
Association.
Commiphora resin is harvested in spring, when
increasing temperatures cause the resin to be
naturally exuded from the tree’s branches. The
resin is harvested by simply picking it from the
ground or from the branches. The non-destructive
nature of the harvesting process and the and the
excess supply of the resource, means that there
is great potential for it to be sustainably harvested
and for it to drive rural development in an area
which holds limited scope for diversification of
activities to increase income.
6.5 Commercialization of Kalahari Melon
Seeds and Ximenia Oil
The Oshiwana Trust was founded in 1992 with
the aim of processing Kalahari melon seed
oil for use in cosmetic products at a newly
constructed factory in Ondangwa. The Trust
grew gradually independent of donor funding
under the management of a board of trustees,
on which Kalahari melon seed harvesters were
represented. Kalahari melons are typically
planted in the northern regions in between rows
of Mahangu and are ideal for the intercropping
systems. Ximenia is also processed by the Trust
but to a lesser extent.
Seeds are collected from an estimated 2 850
community suppliers, of which all but nine are
women. Local cuca shops are used as collection
points and serve to coordinate the supply
network and as meeting points, where pressing
issues between the suppliers and distributors
are discussed. The seeds are weighed at the
Focus Points:
collection point, with each supplier paid according
to the amount provided, and then transported to
the factory where they are pressed into oils. The
oils were exported to international cosmetics
manufacturers, as essential ingredients in skin
and hair moisturizers, soaps and hair growth
stimulants. Demand for the oils peaked in 2005/6
but has been severely affected by the financial
crisis.
This has left the Trust with a surplus supply of
53 tones of seeds and three tones of oil. Given
the collapse in the global market, the Trust is
currently seeking to embark on a value-addition
approach, aimed at the local market in the north
central regions. Demand for the products has
been identified in the regions, however the Trust
is hampered by the fact that much of its capital
is tied up in its excess of stock. Furthermore, it
has shortages of capacity in terms of packaging,
labeling and marketing expertise.
●●
The Innovative Grant Mechanism and the Small Grants Programme both face
challenges of community access and awareness
●●
The Ministry of Environment and Tourism’s network of environmental education
centres is a unique opportunity for facilitating access to general environmental
education material for women in remote rural areas.
●●
SME initiated by women has proven to be promising prospect for rural women in
natural resource management to reduce poverty and inequality.
●●
Many of these SMEs face challenges of marketing, quality assurance and supply
and demand.
28 29

Lessons Learned
Chapter 7
the lack of women in key positions is
being circumvented by the devolution
of rights over natural resources to
communities
The final session of the conference consolidated the challenges
and opportunities faced by women in the sector of natural resource
management. The following areas were identified based on the findings of
the earlier presentations:
7.1 Women in Decision-Making Positions
Namibia is legally obliged to improve the representation of women in
decision-making positions. For example, it has signed and ratified the SADC
Protocol on Gender and Development, with the aim of reaching 50 per cent
women’s representation in parliament by 2015. However, elections in 2009
reduced women’s representation in the national assembly from 30.8 per
cent to 22 percent. The bleak situation is reflected at regional and traditional
authority levels, according to findings by the Ministry of Gender Equality
From left to right: Ms Martha Mwandingi (UNDP); Mr. Simeon Negumbo (MET);
Ms Veronica de Klerk (WAD); Hon. Tataati Simon Shileka (Outapi Regional Council)
and Child Welfare. The under-representation of
women in these positions remains an obstacle
to their effective participation in and access to
benefits from sustainable land management
interventions.
In terms of natural resource management,
the lack of women in key positions is being
circumvented by the devolution of rights over
natural resources to communities, based on
democratic principles. However lessons learned
from Kavango indicate that the existence of
even a few women in traditional authorities,
regional councils and other influential positions
has a positive effect on the role of women in the
planning, implementation and benefit sharing
in natural resource management. Thus, the
reinforcement of affirmative action initiatives is
likely to have positive impacts on women’s role
in and benefits from sustainable natural resource
management.
Inclusive decision-making platforms such as
conservancy committees, HIV/AIDS committees,
FIRMs, water point committees and other CBOs
can extend beyond their immediate mandates
to serve as networks for information sharing
between communities, exchanging best-practice
ideas. They can also serve as informal policy
forums, through which lobbying can be done
guiding policy development and making policies
more gender-sensitive and responsive to locallevel
needs.
7.2 Role of Men and Traditional Structures
Mainstreaming women into the natural resource
management sector can only be transformed
when the perspectives of both women and men
form part of the design, implementation and
outcomes of policies and programmes. Some
tenets of customary law are an obstacle to this
process, and inititatives are required to eliminate
the cultural stigma that is sometimes attached
to the involvement and participation of women
in natural resource management. Traditional
authorities have a key role to play in this regard.
7.3 Traditional Practices
While some elements of customary law may
inihibit women’s full participation in natural
resource management, other traditional practices
and values have a key role to play in sustainable
land management. New initiatives such as the
CBA and CCA are actively seeking to build on
local knowledge and capacity to improve the
resilience of communities to climate change. While
traditional knowledge is now being accorded a
monetary value with the development of the ABS
system. Women, who are often responsible for
the control, development and transfer of much
of the traditional knowledge, stand to gain from
these developments.
7.4 Opportunities for Gender Mainstreaming
The landscape of natural resource management
is changing rapidly in Namibia. The increased
use of participatory approaches to design and
implement activities is opening up opportunities
for women to become centrally involved in these
activities. The CBNRM Programme and the need
for innovative solutions to pressing problems,
such as climate change, allow women to emerge
as agents of this new change approach. Gender
sensitive enabling mechanisms, such as the
IGM and CBA, can further drive this approach. It
was suggested that these mechanisms actively
favour women applicants.
7.5 Targeted Support to SMEs
Natural resource-based SMEs, particularly those
relating to indigenous natural plants (INPs),
were identified at this conference as an excellent
method of contributing to the achievement
of MDGs 1, 3 and 7 in an integrated way.
30 31

Nevertheless, challenges are experienced by the
different SMEs. Evidence suggests that the INP
industry and its associated SMEs are to a large
degree at the dependent on volatile international
markets. Hoodia and Kalahari melon seeds have
been particularly affected by market collapses,
and there is a clear need for support to buffer
these effects. Interventions on the demand
aspect, such as targeting local markets as
well as advance purchasing agreements, are
examples of areas where donors can provide
assistance. These types of protection are often
needed, especially where industries are in their
early stages of development, and are merited in
the case of INPs when the social, environmental
and health benefits of these industries are
considered.
The formalization of SMEs requires intervention
and support across the supply chain. Producers
need to be able to provide a high-quality and
reliable supply of raw materials, while valueaddition
initiatives are likely to require significant
infrastructural and technology investments. It
was suggested at the conference that production
facilities be sited in rural areas, to avoid the
high property prices in urban areas, ensuring
maximum benefit to rural communities.
emphasized that the capacity of women needed
to be improved in order for them to manage
land resources, based on sound scientific
knowledge. Yet, women are under-represented
in terms of research into sustainable land
management. Enrolment statistics from UNAM
and the Polytechnic of Namibia showed showed
an average of 40 per cent representation of
women in faculties relating to natural resources
(Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare
2010). The CPP, through its Young Professional
Research Associates Programme, is now
seeking to address this problem. It now supports
a number of women at masters and doctorate
level for research into SLM. A number of valuable
research areas were identified at the conference
including, alternative Hoodia uses, Biochar and
renewable energy options.
7.6 Awareness Raising and Information
The inadequate access of aspiring women
entrepreneurs to markets and finance can
be addressed, to a large extent, by funding
mechanisms such as the IGM and SGP, which
take gender considerations into account. Other
funding mechanisms are now coming on-stream,
such as the Environmental Investment Fund of
the MET and the Indigenous Natural Products
Innovation Fund of the Millennium Challenge
Account (MCA). It is of vital importance that rural
communities are made aware of these channels,
through which funds and technical support can
be accessed.
Techniques such as exposure trips and
participatory demonstrations have shown to
be effective in exposing communities to new
best-practice approaches to sustainable land
management. Communities are more likely to
adopt these approaches, when shown firsthand
effectiveness. Examples where this has
been achieved include the CONTILL project, the
dissemination of tso-tso stoves, and community
visits in Omaheke and Otjozondjupa to the
Kunene region to learn about the PGH approach.
It is of vital importance that rural
communities are made aware of these
channels, through which funds and
technical support can be accessed
7.7 Gender-Disaggregated Data
The availability of gender-disaggregated data is
sporadic and is not comprehensively monitored
by the majority of programmes and projects.
This is a serious constraint to assessing the
extent gender is being mainstreamed, and the
impacts of interventions in the natural resource
management sector. Gender-disaggregated
data, provided largely through the CPP at the
conference, clearly shows the extent to which
gender mainstreaming is taking place in Namibia.
7.8 Research
During the conference opening it was
CPP... supports a number of women at
masters and doctorate level for research
into SLM
32 33

Chapter 8
Conclusion
Gender mainstreaming is a strategy ensures gender considerations are
an integral part of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation
of policies and programmes in all political, economic and societal spheres.
This conference, to a large extent, provided an assessment of the degree
of gender mainstreaming occurring in the natural resource management
sector in Namibia.
The involvement of women in the design of policies and programmes
relating to natural resource management has been improved greatly
in recent years. Policies, which devolved rights over various natural
resources, have aided in this process. This has set in motion a process
whereby inclusive and democratically elected committees oversee the
management of natural resources in rural areas, ranging from water
to wildlife and non-timber forest products. Participatory approaches to
planning and decision-making are also increasingly deployed by projects
and programmes active in promoting sustainable land management. These
two avenues have significantly provided opportunities for the improved
participation of women in all aspects of natural resource management.
The involvement of women in the design of policies
and programmes relating to natural resource
management has been improved greatly in recent
years
This shift is evident in the gender-disaggregated
data provided by some recent projects and
programmes. For example, the CONTILL and
Hoodia Commercialisation Projects showed
that women accounted for 70 per cent of the
beneficiaries being supported by each. Women’s
representation on conservancy committees and
various local-level associations was also shown
to be relatively high. In spite of this step forward,
the low representation of women in parliament,
regional councils and traditional authorities was
identified as an ongoing obstacle to women’s full
participation in natural resource management.
The formalization of natural resource-based
SMEs was noted as a vehicle for the integrated
achievement of MDGs 1, 3 and 7. Five
different case studies showed how the skills
and knowledge of women in natural resource
management can be moulded into profitable
enterprises. While each case study illustrated
enterprises at different stages of development,
each has been operational for a relatively
long period and offers important lessons for
other possible emerging SMEs. The ability of
suppliers to guarantee consistent high-quality
produce, access to infrastructure for valueaddition,
the collection of raw material and
fluctuating markets are challenges that need to
be overcome. It should be noted that many of
these SMEs require long-term commitment, and
thus are likely to need technical and financial
support, most probably through donor support
programmes.
The success of facilities such as the IGM and SGP
in empowering women and in providing technical
and financial support to community-based
initiatives, while taking gender considerations
into account, should continue to advance the
role of women in natural resource management.
There is huge potential for this kind of approach
to drive poverty reduction, job creation, women
empowerment and environmental sustainability.
This conference has shown that the ongoing
challenges women face in access to land,
financial and technical support, information and
resources, are starting to be addressed, and that
natural resource management plays a leading
role in the women empowerment in Namibia.
Additional References
Ministry of Environment and Tourism (2009)
Lessons Learned and Best Practices on Land
Management Projects in Namibia: The GEF
Small Grants Programme.
Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare
(2010) Namibia Country Report 1995-2009 On
the Implementation of the Beijing Platform for
Action Beijing +15.
Namibian Association of CBNRM-Support
Organisations (NACSO) (2008) Namibia’s
Communal Conservancies: A review of progress
and challenges in 2007.
34 35

Annex 1: List of
Participants
Surname Name Region Organization Email Tel
Aipinge Lydia Omusati Omusati Education Penomuntu05@yahoo.com 065-251574
Ajambo Lillian Ondangwa Voluntary Services - Rossing Foundation lajambo2@yahoo.com 065-240259
Amakali Niiye Rauna Oshana NamWater amakalin@namwater.com.na 065-714220
Angula Lely Saima Khomas Ministry of Environment and Tourism saima@webmail.co.za 061-2842713
April Siegfried Otjozondjupa Fine Art Company Penomuntu05@yahoo.com 065-251574
Conradie Lucia Otjozondjupa Erari Mushroom Farming Project
m_daconceicaolourence@
Da Conceidao Lourence Maria Otjozondjupa Namibian's Women's Lobby
yahoo.co.uk
Natural Resource Community
Den Abel Saskia Khomas
saskia@criaasadc.org 061-220117
Development - Gender Expert
Ministry of Environment - Namutoni
Erckie Laimi Oshikoto
lerckie@met.na 067-229201
Environmental Education Centre
Gaseb Nickey Khomas UNDP/GEF nickeyg@unops.org 061-248345
Hamunyela Natalia Khomas Ministry of Environment and Tourism nhamunyela@yahoo.com 061-2842716
Hango Victoria Onusati CPP - CALLC Project hangovikki@gmail.com
Haraseb Ben Karas
Ministry of Agriculture, Water and
Forestry
ceaokar@iway.na 063-223268
Hindjou Jackson Otjozondjupa Namibia Development Trust ndtotjo@ndt.org.na 067-317132
Ingutia Edith Kunene Welwitschia Development Trust edithmuteshi@yahoo.com 067-331751
Kaetopora Lady-Hain Otjozondjupa
Ministry of Agriculture, Water and
Forestry
kaetol@yahoo.com 067-243118
Kafidi Lucia Tuyeni-Kelao Khomas Polytechnic of Namibia lkafidi@polytechnic.edu.na 061-2072278
Kafula Agnes khomas City of Windhoek akafula@mha.gov.na 061-2902574
Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sport
Kaholongo Mirjam Oshana
mnkaholongo@yahoo.com 065-220354
and Culture
Nyae Nyae Development Foundation of
Kakujaha
Kahepako
ndjambi247@gmail.com
Namibia
Kapuuo Teckla U. Otjozondjupa Kambekura Farmers Association Winnie528@hotmail.com 061-21554
Ministry of Agriculture, Water and
Lutombi Helena M.T Karas
lutombih@mawf.gov.na 061-2087670
Forestry-Directorate of Forestry
Ministry of Environment and Tourism-
Mamili Patience Karas
patiencepk@yahoo.com 063-223223
Keetmanshoop
36 37

Surname Name Region Organization Email Tel
Manungo Daisy Nheta Karas Integrated Agro Environmental Services nheta2@yahoo.com
Mulofwa Jericho Caprivi
Ministry of Agriculture, Water and
Forestry
mutlofwaj2007@yahoo.co,uk 066-253143
Mwandingi Martha Khomas UNDP mmwandinga@undp.org
Namushinga Ester Oshana CPP- CALLC enamushinga@gmail.com 065-233826
Nathinge Hilda Omusati Sheya Shuushona Conservancy shey.shuushona@gmail.com
Shaetonhodi Linnea Khomas City of Windhoek shaoptom@iway.na 061-290 2574
Shaninga Naomi Khomas African Adaptation Project naomi.shaninga@gmail.com 061-2842700
Shihomeka Sadrag Panduleni Khomas University of Namibia spshihomeka@unam.na 061-2063046
Shonghela Anna- Tukwafa Ohangwena Desert Research Foundation of Namibia Tukwafa2000@yahoo.com 060-8068 557
Simataa Ellen Caprivi Ministry of Environment and Tourism simataae@yahoo.com 066-253027
Taapopi Mirijam Seima Khomas
Directorate of Agriculture Research and
Training
taapopim@mawf.gov.na 061-2087005
Uugwanga Sylvia Omusati Eudafano Womens Cooperative ewc@iway.na 065-240068
Uunona Catherine Khomas Consulting Services Africa catherine@csa-nam.com 061-237427
De Klerk Veronica Khomas Women’s Action for Development vdeklerk@mweb.com.na 061-227630
Victor Esperancà Kavango
Mehozetu OVC Network, Rundu.
Community Based Organization (CBO).
kiggwepaul@yahoo.co.uk
38 39