The Namibian Defense Force is having a weeklong workshop on Gender Awareness for 12 Brigade members at Mariental in the Hardap region which started on Monday and will ends on Friday.

The objective of the workshop is enlighten soldiers about relevant gender laws, acts and other international protocols on gender and develop a roadmap for implementation.

Officially opening the workshop, NDF Chief of Staff Human Resources Brigadier General Karel Ndjoba, points out that excluding women from decision making processes in the NDF restricts their capacity to develop.

Brigadier General Ndjoba adds that gender balancing in the workplace has become an integral component of command functions and the military is no exception.

Thus the NDF efforts to equalize opportunities for male and female officers by creating fully fledge gender Unit under the Directorate Human Resources to deal with gender mainstreaming in the force.

The Unit will be mandated to review institutional policies, laws, regulations and programs to comply with Constitutional imperatives, international protocols and conventions on Women Peace and gender.

The NDF members also thanked the Ministry of Gender Equality Women and Child Welfare for the supporting NDF in gender related programs and urged the ministry to continue doing so in future