perceptions on gender equality, lived poverty from the citizens of namibia
TRANSCRIPT
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Perceptions on gender equality, GBV,
lived poverty and basic freedoms12 February 2015
Institute for Public Policy Research
• Perceptions of gender equality– Namibians’ support of women in political leadership vs.
women’s interest in politics
• Perceptions on GBV in Namibia– Insights on Namibians’ experience of GBV, and their
perceived reasons for these crimes
• Perceptions of Lived Poverty trace official statics on poverty decline.
• Perceptions of Basic Freedoms – Namibians feel that they have high levels of personal freedom.
At a Glance
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What is Afrobarometer?
• An African-led, non-partisan survey research project that
measures citizen attitudes on democracy and governance, the
economy, civil society, and other topics.
• Started in 12 countries in 1999, expanded to 35 African countries in
Round 5 (2011-2013).
• Goal: To give the public a voice in policymaking by providing
high-quality public opinion data to policymakers, policy
advocates, civil society organizations, academics, news media,
donors and investors, and ordinary Africans.
• National Partners in each country conduct the survey. In Namibia,
Afrobarometer Round 6 survey was conducted by Survey
Warehouse supervised by IPPR.
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Methodology
• Nationally representative sample of adult citizens
All respondents are randomly selected.
Sample is distributed across all 14 regions and
urban/rural areas in proportion to their share in
the national population.
Every adult citizen has an equal chance of
being selected.
• Face-to-face interviews In the language of the respondent’s choice.
• Standard questionnaire allows comparisons across countries and over
time.
• Sample size in Namibia of 1200 adult citizens yields a margin of error
of +/-3% at a 95% confidence level.
• Fieldwork for Round 6 in Namibia was conducted between 27 August
and 19 September 2014.
Survey DemographicsUn-weighted Weighted
Gender
Male 50% 50%
Female 50% 50%
Location
Urban 49% 49%
Rural 51% 51%
Education
No formal
schooling
6% 13%
Primary 22% 21%
Secondary 53% 44%
Post secondary 19% 22%
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Survey DemographicsProvince/Region Un-weighted Weighted
Zambezi 4% 4%
Erongo 8% 9%
Hardap 4% 4%
!Karas 4% 4%
Kavango West 3% 3%
Kavango East 6% 6%
Khomas 19% 19%
Kunene 4% 4%
Ohangwena 10% 10%
Omaheke 3% 3%
Omusati 11% 10%
Oshana 9% 9%
Oshikoto 8% 8%
Otjozondjupa 7% 7%
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Key Findings
• The majority of Namibians (80%) believe women should have the same chance of being elected to political office as men.
• The number of Namibians who support women in political leadership grew from 70% in 2012, to 80% in 2014.
• Although women express higher levels of support for women in politics than men do, they continue to show lower levels of interest in politics
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Namibians’ support for
women in political leadership
in 2014
10
Respondents were asked: Which of the following statements is closest to
your view. Statement 1: Men make better political leaders than women,
and should be elected rather than women. Statement 2:Women
should have the same chance of being elected to political office as
men.
8 911
5
8
1113
15
9
12
38
41 41
3840
43
37
32
48
40
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Urban Rural Male Female Total
Agree very strongly with 1 Agree with 1 Agree with 2 Agree very strongly with 2
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Changing support for women
in political leadership
11
67%70%
80%
60%
70%73%74%
78%
86%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
2006 2012 2014
Total Male Female
Respondents were asked: whether women should
have the same chance of being elected to political
office (vs. beliefs that men make better leaders)
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Regional Support for women
in political leadership
12
Respondents were asked: whether women should have the same chance of being elected to political
office (vs. beliefs that men make better leaders)
70%
79%
51%
76%73% 72%
77% 77%80%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Namibia Botswana Lesotho Mozambique South Africa Swaziland Zambia Zimbabwe
2012 2014
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Are women interested in
politics?
13
Respondents were asked: how interested they would say they were in public affairs.
18%
18%
37%
27%
13%
18%
38%
31%
13%
17%
35%
35%
17%
20%
39%
24%
15%
18%
37%
29%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%
Not at all
Not very interested
Somewhat insterested
Very interested
Total Female Male Rural Urban
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Changing interests in politics
14
Respondents were asked: How interested would you say you are in public affairs?
71%
83%
78%
64% 64%
70%
62%
82%
75%
55%57%
63%66%
83%
77%
59% 60%
66%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6
Male Female Total
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Do women discuss politics?
15
Respondents were asked: When you get together
with your friends or family, would you say you discuss
political matters?
28%
29%
23%
34%
29%
49%
51%
50%
50%
50%
22%
20%
26%
16%
21%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Urban
Rural
Male
Female
Total
Frequently Occasionally Never
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Changing Trends in the
discussion of politics?
16
Respondents were asked: When you get together with your friends or family, would you say you discuss
political matters?
64%
75%
66%69%
76%
58%
66%
56%
60%
66%
61%
70%
61%64%
71%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
R1 R3 R4 R5 R6
Male
Female
Total
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Key Findings
• 13% of Namibian women, and 7% of men reported that they, or a member of their family had been a victim of gender based violence.
• Namibians felt that in 2014, alcohol abuse contributed most significantly to GBV, followed by unemployment and poverty.
• Culture and tradition were not perceived to be major contributors to GBV in Namibia
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Prevalence of GBV in 2014
19
Respondents were asked: Over the past year, how often, if
ever, have you or anyone in your family: Been a victim of
gender-based violence?
93%
6%
1% 1%
87%
7%5%
2%
90%
6%3%
1%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
No Yes, once Yes, twice Yes, three or more times
Male Female Total
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Fear and/or experience of
crime, including GBV
20
Respondents were asked whether they, or someone in their
family feared, or had experienced the above.
48
33
39
17
11
38
28 28
14
9
37
27
33
14
8
48
34 34
17
14
43
30
33
15
10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Felt unsafe walking in
neighbourhood
Feared crime in your
home
Had somehting stolen Been physically
attacked
Been a victim of GBV
Urban Rural Male Female Total
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Perceptions on the factors
that contribute to GBV
21
Respondents were asked how much they thought the
above factors contributed to GBV in Namibia in 2014.
30%
1%6% 6%
25%
2%
10% 8%
17%
9%
20%18%
27%
87%
64%68%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Cultural and traditional
values
Alcohol abuse Poverty Unemployment
Not at all A little bit Somewhat A lot
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Key findings
•Urban and male respondents were around 9% more likely to never face
food shortage in Round 6.
•Namibian respondents were only likely to experience food shortage
several times, many times, or always with 21% agreement.
•Kunene, Kavango West, and Ohangwena were the only regions to
experience less than half of respondents “never” going without food.
•Only three regions (Zambezi, Erongo, and Hardap) featured more than
half of the respondents who “never” experienced a shortage of cash
income.
•Over time since 1999, there is evidence of a decline in those reporting
shortages in food and cash income. Simultaneously, those reporting
“never” have increased over time.
Gone without food 2014
Respondents were asked: How often have you gone without food?
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61%
18%15%
5%
1%
52%
23%
61%
13%
53%
45%
57%
44%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Never once or twice -
always
Several times Many times Always
Urban Rural Male Female Total
Gone without cash income 2014?
25
35%
21%
19%
11%
26%25%
23%
17%
35%
23%
21%
14%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Never Just once or twice Several times Many times
Urban Rural Total
Respondents were asked: How often have you gone without a cash income?
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Changes over time cash and food
13%
21% 22%25%
35%
49%
78% 78%74%
65%
43%47%
39%
47%
57%57%54%
62%
54%
43%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
1999 2006 2008 2012 2014
Never/cash
Just once to
always/cash
never/food
Just once to
always/food
Respondents were asked: How often have
you gone without food? Cash income?
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Going without a cash income?
51%
54%
52%
41%
20%
37%
39%
18%
16%
21%
24%
35%
26%
42%
Zambezi
Erongo
Hardap
!Karas
Kavango West
Kavango East
Khomas
Kunene
Ohangwena
Omaheke
Omusati
Oshana
Oshikoto
Otjiwarongo
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Never/ cash income
Never/ cash income
How often have you gone without food?
Regional distribution going without
food
75%
58%
70%
64%
48%
61%
56%
20%
48%
56%
53%
64%
61%
58%
Zambezi
Erongo
Hardap
!Karas
Kavango West
Kavango East
Khomas
Kunene
Ohangwena
Omaheke
Omusati
Oshana
Oshikoto
Otjiwarongo
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Never/food
Respondents were asked: How often have you gone without food?
Key findings
• 91% of respondents expressed that they were
somewhat or completely free to say what they
wanted.
• 98% of respondents expressed freedom to vote
for whom they wanted.
• 95% say they are free to join any political
organisation they wanted.
Freedom to say what you think
2014
31
•
21%
70%
Somewhat free Completely free
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Respondents were asked: How free are
you to say what you think?
Free to choose who to vote for?
Respondents were asked: How free are you to choose who to vote for?
13%
85%
Vote for
Somewhat free Completely free
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Freedom to join any political organisation?
Respondents were asked: Freedom to join any political organisation?
15%
80%
Join any political group?
Somewhat free Completely free
Conclusions
• Both male and female respondents felt that
Namibia was ready for the 50-50 gender
empowerment.
• Alcohol was seen as the most important
contributor to gender based violence.
• The “lived poverty” experience tracked the
official poverty results downward.
• Namibian respondents continued to feel that
the country experiences high levels of personal
freedom.
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