Namibia Honors Businesswoman of the Year
Thursday, October 18th, 2007
The Namibian Businesswoman of the Year 2007 prize was awarded to Rhiana Potgieter, owner of the Shadonai Beauty School. This article on AllAfrica.com stated the awards were given during a banquet on Friday, October 12. Also taking home awards were Helene Vosloo, winning the category of Community and Government, and Margaret Bennett, winner of the Private and Corporate Sector category.
In the announcement of the nominees, Desere Lundon-Muller stated the Businesswoman of the Year program was started 12 years ago to honor the “women whose achievements, commitment and vision have made them leaders in their chosen fields of endeavour.” Telecom Namibia and Castle Brewing Namibia are sponsors for the event, and the Namibia Economist newspaper serves as the organizer.
In an interview with the Namibia Economist, Potgieter said she started the school with just five students and no accreditation. Today, she has 20 full-time and 40 part-time students, and is accredited through the Namibian Training Authority as well as international organizations. “I definitely have an enormous impact on their lives and this is the biggest responsibility of all,” she says.
Women in Namibia are beginning to gain more equal status in some areas, but those living in rural regions still face many hardships and discrimination. In A Physical Educator’s Perspective of Namibia, Africa, Bonnie J. Reimann explores the major issues still affecting women’s rights. The greatest of these issues continues to be HIV/AIDS, with the number of young women living with the disease estimated to be more than twice that of young men. In addition, many widows find themselves suddenly having their property taken away by male family members after the death of a husband. This fact sheet on women’s rights in Namibia may shed some light into this situation faced by agricultural, rural women:
Namibia is a signatory to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
The Constitution of Namibia guarantees equal rights for women and provides for affirmative action to redress past imbalances. However, the Constitution also states that all laws in force at independence remain in force until repealed or amended by Parliament, and that customary and common laws also remain valid, as long as they do not conflict with the Constitution or statutory laws. Thus many discriminatory laws that affect rural women remain intact, including those that limit women’s control over property and access to land over property and access to land and credit.
Reimann stated, “This lowered economic status can encourage high-risk behavior such as engaging in unsafe sex for money, housing or food for women and their children. It becomes evident that the cycle of poverty, HIV/Aids transmission, and gender disparity will be difficult to break.” During her visit to Namibia, she also toured the education programs offered to girls to women in the country. While there are some quality programs in place, the women of Namibia need access to much more. Strong business leaders like Potgieter and the other winners offer the hope that perhaps the gender disparity explored by Reimann, although difficult, can be overcome.
To read how other international women are overcoming oppression, check out Afghanistan City Helping Women Own Businesses.
women, businesswomen, Namibia, Namibian women, women’s rights
I have suffered from constant TMJ pain for four years on both sides of my face. I will admit that at times, it is the worst pain I could ever imagine. But not once in the last four years has a medical professional, including a specialist who I traveled over 150 miles to see, recommended I or anyone else rub my breasts. Massage can most definitely help. The facial muscles, neck and shoulder muscles can all contribute to TMJ pain and headaches. But the last time I checked, a woman’s breasts are made up of fatty tissue. I find it impossible on myself to compress them enough to effectively massage any underlying muscle tissue, and I wear barely a B-cup.
The book 
is on shelves now. The anthology is a collection of fictional short stories set against a backdrop of summertime, that most romantic of seasons. The description of the theme brings to mind heated romance when the nights seem to last forever and the days pass all too quickly. 
I wrote the story without a GLBT premise because of the audience and because the story had nothing to do with GLBT issues. I once wrote a personal column about gay marriage for the Buffalo News. And I received one hate letter that was sent anonoumously. It made me smile actually because I thought, out of an entire city of people who read the column only one person expressed any hatred AND they didn’t even have the courage to sign their name to the letter. It bothered me for a second and then I moved on. Most of the responses I receive, from homosexual and heterosexuals alike, are words of encouragement. I am blessed that people can recognize good writing without the sexuality attached. I’m a writer first, a lesbian second.”
Today is Columbus Day here in the US. I can’t help but wonder, though, why we continue to celebrate it. Columbus did not discover the North American continent. In fact, he never even set foot on it. The closest he came to it was the islands of the Bahamas. At most, he managed to land on islands that were already “discovered” and inhabited, and proceeded with his own agenda of genocide in the name of his king and queen. Are we Americans so entrenched in our own delusion of superiority that we will continue to celebrate a mass murderer, rapist, and child abuser who never even set foot on our own soil? We may as well celebrate Jim Jones for leading 900 people to commit suicide. At least the adults in his cult had a choice. 
My next few posts will talk about specifics of domestic violence including statistics and resources. First, we are going to look at the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) and ways we can support them. The NCADV provides assistance, education, research and public policy information to victims of abuse. The first Unity Day was held in October 1981, which later grew into the Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Since that time, they have started and assisted numerous programs including “Remember My Name” the “Bring Volume to Silent Voices Campaign.” They also participate in cell phone drives and charity cars, and partner with cosmetic companies who donate profits from the sale of certain items.
