Gender Inequalities

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Gender roles are defined as the cultural traditions in which men have been placed at the top of the hierarchy throughout time.

This can often be viewed as a woman’s role compared to a male’s.

An example is that while children are growing up, girls are supposed to play with dolls, and boys are supposed to play with trucks. This is something that society has deemed as a societal norm in many countries.

Gender roles, however, can become a serious issue when people are raised with the idea that one gender is superior to the other.

Many societies, such as the Ovawambo Tribe of Namibia, have a patriarchal ideology, meaning that men are perceived as more valuable than women in the social, economic, and political aspects. ¹⁾

Here is a short video about the Ovawambo Tribe of Namibia and how they welcome guests.

The Ovawambo culture has had an ideology that men are superior to women and that the man of the house is meant to have complete control over the wife and family. They often tend to diminish their wife’s power to demonstrate their complete control.

This brings forth the idea of gender-based violence, which is defined as: “physical, sexual, economic, emotional, and psychological violence such as threats with a weapon, degrading insults, promiscuity, domestic violence, and sexual abuse.

When Namibia gained independence in 1991, they did create new gender laws in order to help redress the gender injustices that were occurring. Although the Ovawambo culture did not take this very well, there still continues to be instances of gender-based violence throughout this culture. This gender-based violence is mainly seen throughout the intimate relationships of this culture.

The Legal Assistance Centre confirms that 50,000 crimes related to gender-based violence were reported between 2013 and 2015, and the second-highest number of cases occurred in the Oshana region. This figure tallies with the 45 gender-based crimes which were committed daily between 2013 and 2015 in Namibia. ²⁾⁾

Even if Namibia has implemented laws to prevent gender-based violence occurrences, there is still more that needs to be done rather than just having laws written into paper. There needs to be active change, starting with refocusing attention on gender equity.

Masculine identity needs to be transformed in order for there to be equality between all genders.

A lot of times, these gender-based roles become assigned through theological perspectives that may have a significant influence on the culture.

Polling shows that the prevention of gender-based violence needs organized effort by the religious communities that would challenge men’s patriarchal ideology and transform them. ³⁾

Now this does not mean that we want males to become like a woman, but rather realize that they deserve as much power and equality as they do. This new understanding of power would allow men to realize that women have a place in their homes and that their opinions and ideas should not be diminished but instead used to empower their society.

Many of these patriarchal ideologies were introduced to Namibia when missionaries from European countries brought Christianity.

The Bible was used to justify men’s dominance over women based on the notion that men were created to dominate women. ⁴⁾

Many of the words and interpretations from the Bible and colonialism have impacted the gender relations in the Ovawambo culture.

Most of the men who today abuse their power in Namibia are motivated by colonialism and apartheid. ⁵⁾

Gender-based violence can lead to a world of distress mentally and physically. People must realize that gender inequalities are still occurring today in Namibia. Even if laws have been created to help create equality, that is still insufficient. When new laws affect the original patriarchy that has been established, there can be pushback, but what is most important is to look forward and continue to progress. Men’s original patriarchal values and attitudes need to be challenged.

Image by: Roszie

This section will emphasize the issues of intimate partner violence and how this can be linked to sexually transmitted infections among women in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Intimate partner violence is similar to gender-based violence except in part that intimate partner violence can occur between partners that are of the same gender identity.
Gender inequalities have been linked with harmful health outcomes and increased risk for sexually transmitted diseases.

These inequalities are multifaceted and are reflected by many indicators, such as reduced social status, vulnerability to infection, and lack of bodily autonomy. ⁶⁾ )

There are many instances in which women feel the need to justify their physical abuse, and even though there are laws that are in place in sub-Saharan Africa against domestic violence, there are still 30-50% of women have experienced a form of intimate partner violence in the form of unwanted pregnancies and psychological stress. ⁷⁾ )</sup> )

According to the Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rate of HIV transmission prevalence of, 53%with over two-thirds, 66% of all new HIV cases in the world occurring in this region.

Women who experience both gender inequalities and oppression are at a higher risk for contracting HIV and other STI’s. ⁸⁾ )</sup> )

Rates of health complications from STIs are higher among women than men, and in 2017 women comprised over half (59%) of all the new HIV Cases in sub-Saharan Africa. ⁹⁾ )</sup>

Women are more likely to be asymptomatic, leading to prolonged untreated infections and poor health outcomes. Gender relations are central in influencing the reproductive and overall health of individuals, groups, and communities.

McClintock & Dulak (2021) created a research study in which they interviewed households and obtained information from 32,409 women who completed the Demographic Health Survey’s domestic violence module in 7 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Through these interviews, they found that women who experienced one or more types of intimate partner violence were significantly more likely to have an STI in the past 12 months.

The Southern African Journal of Social Work and Social Development interviewed social workers in Namibia. Through these interviews, the researchers were able to gain more perspective on how the patriarchal society affects Namibia. ¹⁰⁾ )

Here is what some of the interviewers said:

Image by: Josemiguels

(Reminder these quotes are coming from the social workers that were interviewed in this specific research done by Chiwara and Lombardi (2022))

Participant-1B “Men were brought up to believe that women are subordinate to men, whatever the man says the women should obey. When they [women] speak back, it’s a problem and then the violence starts.” ¹¹⁾ )</sup>

Participant-5B “[Some women] are being abused or the husband or boyfriend is denying them access [to their rights]. They are dependent. We ask them why you are still in the house? Why don’t you move out? [They respond] No! Where will I go.” ¹²⁾

Often, people may question why these women stay in a relationship with intimate partner violence. The truth is that these women often don’t have the option to leave. And they are afraid of being left with nothing. Many of these women live in fear, which does not allow them to receive the help they need.

Some women also do not seek medical care because they may fear stigma and ostracization. This can significantly deter women from seeking STI screening services and obtaining the necessary treatment.

However, an important aspect to take into account is that women in sub-Saharan Africa who were considered wealthier or educated and lived in urban settings and were employed were not as likely to have had a sexually transmitted disease.

When women assume a role closer in the hierarchy to their partner, this improves their bargaining position and changes their status, which improves their ability to have safer sexual practices that prevent STI contraction.

It is important to note that if women are offered the same opportunities as men, including education, work, and equity, their gender roles would not be used to try and make one gender inferior to the other, but they would work together to make society as a whole a better place for the future generations.