MenEngage Namibia

MenEngage Namibia is the Namibian country network within the MenEngage Africa Alliance (MEA), a continental coalition of organisations that engage men and boys to advance gender equality, promote health, reduce violence and address structural barriers to gender justice. The network operates as a national platform of non-governmental organisations working on gender-based violence (GBV) prevention, HIV and AIDS mitigation, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), child rights and positive parenting, and peace-building. Its work is rooted in the global MenEngage Alliance, of which MenEngage Africa is one of six continental members. Country activities for MenEngage Namibia are coordinated by Lifeline/Childline Namibia, a Namibian counselling and emotional wellness organisation. Lifeline/Childline Namibia holds consultative meetings with individuals and organisations to build a fully functioning MenEngage country network in Namibia. The organisation works across the country to improve the safety, health and resilience of children, families and communities, providing counselling services, behaviour-change and gender-equity training, HIV prevention, child protection and advocacy for zero tolerance of abuse against children and gender-based violence. It has a key focus on male engagement work and is recognised as the main counselling and emotional wellness training provider in Namibia, with an experienced Executive Board, 70 full-time staff and 72 volunteers. It is affiliated with Child Helpline International and LifeLine Southern Africa. MenEngage Namibia sits within a broader African structure: MenEngage Africa consists of 22 country networks spread across East, West, Central and Southern Africa, forming an Annual General Meeting (AGM) that serves as the highest decision-making body of MEA, comprising over 350 non-governmental organisations at grassroots, national and regional levels. Sonke Gender Justice serves as the Secretariat of MenEngage Africa, providing technical support to the networks on communications, advocacy, movement building, research and knowledge management. MEA members implement joint advocacy programmes at national level with their governments, at regional level with Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and at international levels on MEA thematic areas. The network's contact point is the Executive Director Secretariat, Nicolette Bessinger, reachable at Namibia@menengageafrica.org. MenEngage Namibia is part of a family of southern African country networks that includes MenEngage South Africa, MenEngage Zimbabwe and MenEngage Malawi. As a network rather than a commercial enterprise, MenEngage Namibia functions as a civil-society brand and platform for collective action on gender justice in Namibia.

MenEngage Namibia is the Namibian country network of the MenEngage Africa Alliance (MEA), a continental coalition that forms part of the global MenEngage Alliance. The global alliance brings together organisations that engage men and boys to achieve gender equality, promote health, reduce violence and question and address the structural barriers to gender equality. MenEngage Africa is one of six continental members of this global alliance and consists of 22 country networks spread across East, West, Central and Southern Africa. These networks form the AGM, the highest decision-making body of MEA, which comprises over 350 non-governmental organisations at grassroots, national and regional levels. Within this structure, MenEngage Namibia functions as the national platform for organisations and individuals working with men and boys on gender equality, the prevention of gender-based violence, and the mitigation of HIV and AIDS in Namibia. Country activities are coordinated by Lifeline/Childline Namibia, a Namibian organisation that works across the country to improve the safety, health and resilience of children, families and communities. Lifeline/Childline Namibia provides counselling services; programmes and training that address behaviour change, efficacy and gender equity relating to health, safety and resilience; HIV prevention; child protection; and advocacy for zero tolerance of abuse against children and gender-based violence. It has a key focus on male engagement work and is recognised as the main counselling and emotional wellness training provider in Namibia. The organisation has an experienced and committed Executive Board, 70 full-time staff and 72 volunteers, and is affiliated with, and an active member of, Child Helpline International and LifeLine Southern Africa. As part of building the network, Lifeline/Childline Namibia holds consultative meetings with individuals and organisations to build a fully functioning MenEngage country network in Namibia. The network seeks to advance work with men and boys for gender equality, the prevention of gender-based violence, and the mitigation of HIV and AIDS. The contact point for the network is the Executive Director Secretariat, Nicolette Bessinger, with telephone +264 61 226 889 and email Namibia@menengageafrica.org. MenEngage Africa's members work collectively toward advancing gender justice, human rights and social justice in key thematic areas including Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), gender-based violence (GBV) and HIV prevention, child rights and positive parenting, and promoting peace on the continent. Members implement joint advocacy programmes at national level with their governments, at regional level with Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and at international levels at various platforms on the MEA thematic areas. The alliance falls within the scope of Sonke Gender Justice's Regional Programmes Unit, where staff support partner organisations across the 22 countries to implement work in the MEA campaign and thematic areas, build capacity for organisations to implement gender-transformative work through community mobilisation and education, media and communications, policy advocacy and research. Sonke's role is to provide technical support to the networks on communications, advocacy, movement building, research and knowledge management. MenEngage Namibia is listed alongside other southern African country networks including MenEngage South Africa, MenEngage Zimbabwe and MenEngage Malawi.

• Namibia gains independence from South Africa on 21 March 1990, the national context in which Namibian civil society later develops.

• MenEngage Africa Alliance is established as one of six continental members of the global MenEngage Alliance, with 22 country networks across Africa.

• Lifeline/Childline Namibia is designated to coordinate MenEngage Namibia country activities, holding consultative meetings to build a fully functioning country network.

National civil-society network platform for engaging men and boys in gender equality, GBV prevention and HIV mitigation in Namibia, coordinated by Lifeline/Childline Namibia within the MenEngage Africa Alliance.

1. 1MenEngage Namibia – MenEngage Africa Alliancemenengageafrica.org
2. 2About Us – MenEngage Africa Alliancemenengageafrica.org
3. 3MenEngage Namibia – Wikidatawikidata.org