Ministry responsible for gender equality, child welfare, and child protection services including shelters, social work, and safe-haven oversight across Namibia.
Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.
June 2026
The Namibian
Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfareconfirmed15,825 grants were suspended due to unverified names
Source
“On Wednesday, in a joint notice between the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare and the finance ministry, the ministries confirmed that 15 825 grants were suspended, citing unverified names in the National Population Registry System.”
Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfareis currently caring fora six-year-old boy who was reported missing
Source
“A six-year-old boy who was reported missing on Wednesday has been found and is currently in the care of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare.”
Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfareis facilitatingformal kinship care arrangement for twin babies
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“The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare is facilitating a formal kinship care arrangement for the twin babies who survived an attempted drowning incident at Omutundungu village in the Omusati region last Sunday.”
Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfarehas acknowledgedonly a small proportion of survivors can be accommodated in safe houses at any given time
Source
“Only a handful of survivors can be accommodated in safe houses at any given time, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare has acknowledged.”
Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfaresuggestedprovisions from sexual exploitation bill could form new chapter in Child Care and Protection Act
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“The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare has suggested that provisions in this law could form a new chapter in the Child Care and Protection Act if not enacted as a stand-alone statute.”
Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfarehas sheltered347 survivors of gender-based violence, child abuse and trafficking
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“The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare has sheltered 347 survivors of gender-based violence, child abuse and trafficking in the past year.”
Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfarewas allocatedN$417.2 million for 2026/2027 financial year
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“The ministry has been allocated a total budget of N$417.2 million to execute its core mandate of ensuring gender equality and equitable socio-economic development of women and men, and the well-being of children.”
Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfareorganisesmarginalised community games such as Dr Libertine Amathila Sport Tournament
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“The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare organises marginalised community games such as the Dr Libertine Amathila Sport Tournament and Otjozondjupa mass games, designed to integrate San, Ovatue, Ovatjimba, and Ovazemba communities.”
Over 15,000 Namibian pensioners have had their old-age grants suspended after missing a mandatory government verification process in October. Many pensioners say they were not adequately informed of the callout and are now struggling to meet basic needs.
Why it matters
Over 15,000 pensioners losing grants due to missed verification deadlines represents a major failure in government communications and public service delivery affecting vulnerable citizens.
Over 15,000 Namibian pensioners have had their old-age grants suspended after missing a mandatory government verification process in October. Many pensioners say they were not adequately informed of the callout and are now struggling to meet basic needs.
A six-year-old boy reported missing on Wednesday from the Goreangab area of Windhoek has been found. He had been missing since Sunday and was discovered at Wanaheda Police Station; he is now in the care of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare.
The Ministry of Finance suspended 15,825 of 209,226 old-age grant recipients whose names could not be found in the National Population Registry System. Beneficiaries can restore payments by providing identity documentation at the nearest Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare office, and once verified will receive back payments covering the suspension period.
The government has temporarily suspended the grants of 15,825 old-age pension beneficiaries whose names could not be verified on the National Population Registry System. Affected beneficiaries must visit regional gender ministry or constituency offices with their national identification document and birth certificate to have their grants reinstated, and will receive back payment for the suspension period.
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare is facilitating a kinship care arrangement for 9-month-old twin babies who survived an attempted drowning at Omutundungu village in Omusati last Sunday. A family member has stepped forward to assume full responsibility for the children, and the ministry commended the man who rescued them.
A 37-year-old domestic worker was arrested after allegedly giving birth and dumping a newborn boy in a pit latrine at Okafitu ka Kahala village in Outapi on Sunday. The case is being investigated as murder and defeating or obstructing the course of justice; Namibia decriminalized baby dumping in 2019 if infants are left unharmed at designated safe places such as hospitals and police stations.
San families in Eenhana and surrounding settlements live in makeshift structures and face unemployment, lack of identity documents, and inadequate housing, despite government efforts including food assistance, school transport, and housing projects. Officials acknowledge living conditions remain difficult and uneven across communities, with plans to relocate some settlements and continue support programmes.
Namibia's eight state-run shelters for gender-based violence survivors operate with a N$1 million annual budget covering only food and basics, accommodating only 80 GBV clients at any time despite thousands of reported cases. Staffing shortages, no national system to track turned-away victims, and restricted access policies compound the pressure, with the ministry acknowledging the sheltering system is "not yet fully adequate to meet all demand across the country."
The final draft of Namibia's cybercrime bill contains multiple shortcomings including undefined terms around computer viruses, cyberbullying, and obscene images that could lead to unconstitutional restrictions on free speech and inadequate victim protection. The author argues the bill should be improved before parliamentary submission, citing concerns that key provisions lack clarity, may inhibit online speech, and could create practical enforcement problems.
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare sheltered 347 survivors of gender-based violence, child abuse and trafficking in the past year through counselling and designated safe places. The ministry, allocated N$417 million for 2026/27, also accommodated 520 children in homes and shelters, provided psychosocial support to over 5,000 children, and recruited 21 additional social workers to strengthen response services.
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare has been allocated N$417.2 million for the 2026/2027 financial year to advance gender equity, child protection, and women's economic empowerment across Namibia. In the past year, the ministry supported 347 survivors of gender-based violence and trafficking, accommodated 329 street children in boarding schools, and expanded early childhood development enrolment from 110,726 to 126,213 across the country.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah appointed National Council member Moses //Khumub as deputy minister in the Office of the Vice President, a move that lawmakers have criticised as unnecessary bureaucracy given the limited role of the office. The State House said the deputy minister will provide technical and professional support to Vice President Lucia Witbooi, particularly in overseeing marginalised communities and disability affairs divisions transferred from another ministry.
Namibia's Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare has established a 60-day window allowing biological parents to reclaim children they have surrendered to the State, after which the child enters formal State care and becomes eligible for adoption. The government has also designated safe facilities—police stations, hospitals, and schools—where parents may legally surrender children without prosecution, aiming to prevent dangerous abandonments in unsafe locations.
Players from marginalised communities will represent Namibia at the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Youth Games in Mozambique later this year, selected through community games held by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare. The 2026 National Youth Games will use a clustered format to manage a reduced budget.
The National Youth Service's five-week rehabilitation programme at Henties Bay introduced 76 street-connected children aged 12–18 to structure, medical care, psychosocial support and life skills, with plans to transition them into formal schooling and vocational training. Graduates reported gaining confidence, emotional resilience and a sense of belonging after years of survival on the streets.
Research by Unicef shows that approximately 9% of internet-using Namibian children aged 12–17 — an estimated 20,000 children annually — experience online sexual exploitation or abuse. Police and justice sector officials are undergoing training to strengthen victim identification and enforcement efforts as digital exploitation increasingly involves sophisticated cross-border methods.
The Development Bank of Namibia has launched "DBN for Her," a financing initiative designed to increase access to credit for women-owned businesses. The product offers loans at prime interest rate with a 12-month grace period and credit guarantee scheme to address the documented funding gap, with women having received only about 14% of DBN's total funding to date.
A 36-year-old woman was arrested after leaving her newborn at a church in Ohangwena, raising questions about what locations legally qualify as "safe places" under Namibia's 2019 safe-haven policy. While some argue the mother's circumstances warrant consideration and the law permits leaving unharmed infants at churches, police and government officials contend the specific location—an empty church with the baby placed unattended on the floor—did not meet statutory requirements for a designated safe place.
Minister Lucia Iipumbu said the ministry will fast-track its human trafficking action plan (2023–2027) in response to parliamentary questions about the rising issue. Between June 2024 and June 2025, six cases were recorded, with five Namibian victims repatriated from Myanmar and one from Laos, while perpetrators often target vulnerable children from rural areas.
About 75 children aged 12–18 from five regions completed a five-week rehabilitation and reintegration programme run by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare in partnership with the National Youth Service at Henties Bay. The training focused on discipline, patriotism, voluntarism and agricultural skills, with officials calling on families to support the children's reintegration.
A 7-year-old boy was hospitalised at Windhoek Central Hospital after allegedly being assaulted by the father of a classmate who discovered his son crying after an incident at school. The Namibian government says it is investigating the matter, with the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare condemning the incident and emphasising that no circumstance justifies violence against children.
Minister Ericah Shafudah clarified that N$65 million in social grant funds allegedly missing from NamPost between 2009 and 2018 never went missing, but was unclaimed payments held pending reconciliation between NamPost and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare. After reconciliation, the funds amounted to N$93 million and were deposited into a statutory fund, with N$58 million remaining unclaimed as of October 2025.
WJD Cloete Combined School in Rietoog was inaugurated with four new classrooms and storage facilities worth N$1.4 million, made possible through a partnership between Children in the Wilderness and IXM Metals. The infrastructure aims to improve access to education in the rural Hardap region and reduce the need for pupils to travel long distances to neighbouring towns.
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare has empowered 1,485 women with entrepreneurial skills through the EntreprenHER programme, funded by UN Women, which provides digital and financial literacy training to support women micro-entrepreneurs. The programme, now in its third phase across Namibia, South Africa and Botswana, has supported over 2,400 women-owned micro-enterprises, with the ministry now exploring partnerships to advance to phase four.
Rehoboth mayor Jacky Khariseb says the town council is intensifying efforts to combat drug and substance abuse through a multi-sectoral approach involving law enforcement, social workers, and community organisations. The council has donated a house to police for a drug squad, established a Junior Town Council for youth engagement, and is planning satellite police stations in identified crime hotspots.
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare has empowered 1,485 women in entrepreneurial skills via the EntreprenHER programme, which provides digital and financial literacy training and market access support. The UN-funded initiative, now in phase 3, has supported over 2,400 micro-enterprises across Namibia, South Africa, and Botswana, with the ministry exploring partnerships for further expansion.
Namibia's Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare reported 3,319 cases of child neglect since 2023, with Oshikoto region recording the highest number at 661 cases. The ministry attributes the rise primarily to unemployment, substance abuse, and family instability, and warns that many more cases likely go unreported due to social stigma and fear.
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare is seeking public help to locate a child featured in a viral social media video showing a minor drinking otombo, a traditional alcoholic beverage, citing concerns about potential child endangerment and neglect.
Namibia's Child Care and Protection Act empowers children aged 14 and older to consent to medical treatment if they understand the risks and benefits, even when parents refuse consent on cultural or religious grounds. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare released an awareness video illustrating how the law protects children's health decisions and allows them to access confidential medical counselling without parental permission in certain circumstances.