Sister Namibia

Sister Namibia, formerly known as the Sister Namibia Collective, is a feminist nonpartisan non-governmental organization (NGO) located in Windhoek, Namibia. The organization was established in 1989 on the eve of the Namibia’s independence from South Africa. Sister Namibia advocates for women’s rights and engages in activities that promote full gender equality in a world free from violence, discrimination, and oppression. From its inception, the organization’s main function has been to produce Sister Namibia Magazine. In the 1990s Sister Namibia expanded its operations to include educational programs, research, activism, media engagement, and cultural activities in support of women’s rights.

The formation of the Sister Namibia Collective follows the story of Namibia’s liberation. Following World War I, the League of Nations mandated that Namibia, known then as South West Africa, be governed by South Africa. Not only was apartheid imposed under South African rule, but women’s rights were restricted as well. Considered legal minors, married women could only engage in legal transactions with their husband’s permission. Namibian women played key political and military leadership roles in the long fight for independence and these leaders ensured that women’s rights became part of the liberation platform.

When Namibia won independence in 1990, the new constitution guaranteed “the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family . . . regardless of race, colour, ethnic origin, sex, religion, creed or social or economic status.” Human rights protections under the law, however, were not always visible in practice. The Sister Namibia Collective was formed by Elizabeth |Khaxis and Liz Frank out of their realization that many women in Namibia did not even know that they had human rights. The Sister Namibia Collective’s aim was to provide education and information about women’s legal rights and to provide resources and skills so that women could claim their rights. The Collective functioned informally in the early years without a building or paid staff. Its main function at that time was to publish Sister Namibia Magazine “to speak out against all forms of oppression and discrimination against women, and to write women back into Namibian history.” The magazine was created with scanty resources by volunteers who met at member’s houses.

...
Wikipedia