Human rights in Namibia
Article 5, the first in the chapter, stipulates that all rights outlined by the constitution must be observed by all facets of the Namibian government.
[3][1] The opening articles state that all persons have the right to liberty, respect, and dignity and no one will be subject to torture or inhumane environments at any time in their life.
Along with this, the constitution stipulates that all Namibians will be considered equal and will not be subject to inequality by factors such as sex, race, colour and ethnicity, religious beliefs and status in society.
After arrest Namibians have the right to a fair trial conducted by a competent court in a public hearing however, juvenile cases are exempt.
[3] The constitution not only focuses on equality and discrimination but also recognises the rights of people to own and dispose of property that can also be entrusted to others at any stage.
The mandate states that any violations of human rights must be recognised by the office and the Ombudsman must protect the people against further infringements.
The mission statement from the office of the ombudsman is as follows:“… strives to promote and protect human rights, fair and effective administration, combat corrupt practices … of Namibia through the independent and impartial investigation and resolution of complaints and through raising awareness.”[7]Investigation across a range of human rights infringements have occurred since 2005.
[8] Not all complaints processed through the office are related to human rights other issues can involve: environment, maladministration, and corruption.
[9] Regardless of these rights and the acknowledgment of the index, Namibian women are still subject to gender-based violence and discrimination in the workforce and can face issues accessing education and healthcare.
In November 2018, it was reported that 1 in 3 women aged 15–49 have experienced violence from their spouse and 29.5% of men believe physical abuse towards their wife is acceptable.
[10]Women of Namibia who suffer injury, mental health illness' and pregnancy from rape are subject to increased healthcare costs and decrease earnings as they take time to recover.
The 2015 deputy prime minister spoke at the 2015 Global Leaders Meeting and promised that Namibia was committed to embracing the critical role of women in society.
[15] Child abuse, as recognised by the World Health Organisation, is present in Namibia and believed to be accepted as a childhood norm by society.
The U.S Department of Labor produced a 2017 report that again found sex and agriculture exploitation to be the worst forms of child labour.
Whilst Namibians are protected by the constitution to not face torture as a result of punishment or discrimination, LGBT individuals experience violence from all aspects of society, in particular police personnel.
Namibia is looking at a change to its constitution that ensures that no discrimination based upon sexual orientation occurs, as the current laws do not include this.
[citation needed] The Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) was founded in 1988 with the intention to support those suffering in the time of Apartheid where many Namibians had very few human rights.
Since the opening of the Windhoek office in 1998, the organisation has expanded and now also focuses on human rights education and training, informing and offering advice to the public, research and advocacy and litigation.
To uphold their status of a public interest law firm, the LAC will only support cases when it has a greater effect on a community.
