Perceptions on Gender Equality, Lived Poverty from the Citizens of Namibia

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WWW.AFROBAROMETER.ORG Perceptions on gender equality, GBV, lived poverty and basic freedoms 12 February 2015 Institute for Public Policy Research

Transcript of Perceptions on Gender Equality, Lived Poverty from the Citizens of Namibia

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Perceptions on gender equality, GBV,

lived poverty and basic freedoms12 February 2015

Institute for Public Policy Research

• Perceptions of gender equality– Namibians’ support of women in political leadership vs.

women’s interest in politics

• Perceptions on GBV in Namibia– Insights on Namibians’ experience of GBV, and their

perceived reasons for these crimes

• Perceptions of Lived Poverty trace official statics on poverty decline.

• Perceptions of Basic Freedoms – Namibians feel that they have high levels of personal freedom.

At a Glance

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What is Afrobarometer?

• An African-led, non-partisan survey research project that

measures citizen attitudes on democracy and governance, the

economy, civil society, and other topics.

• Started in 12 countries in 1999, expanded to 35 African countries in

Round 5 (2011-2013).

• Goal: To give the public a voice in policymaking by providing

high-quality public opinion data to policymakers, policy

advocates, civil society organizations, academics, news media,

donors and investors, and ordinary Africans.

• National Partners in each country conduct the survey. In Namibia,

Afrobarometer Round 6 survey was conducted by Survey

Warehouse supervised by IPPR.

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Where Afrobarometer works

Methodology

• Nationally representative sample of adult citizens

All respondents are randomly selected.

Sample is distributed across all 14 regions and

urban/rural areas in proportion to their share in

the national population.

Every adult citizen has an equal chance of

being selected.

• Face-to-face interviews In the language of the respondent’s choice.

• Standard questionnaire allows comparisons across countries and over

time.

• Sample size in Namibia of 1200 adult citizens yields a margin of error

of +/-3% at a 95% confidence level.

• Fieldwork for Round 6 in Namibia was conducted between 27 August

and 19 September 2014.

Survey DemographicsUn-weighted Weighted

Gender

Male 50% 50%

Female 50% 50%

Location

Urban 49% 49%

Rural 51% 51%

Education

No formal

schooling

6% 13%

Primary 22% 21%

Secondary 53% 44%

Post secondary 19% 22%

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Survey DemographicsProvince/Region Un-weighted Weighted

Zambezi 4% 4%

Erongo 8% 9%

Hardap 4% 4%

!Karas 4% 4%

Kavango West 3% 3%

Kavango East 6% 6%

Khomas 19% 19%

Kunene 4% 4%

Ohangwena 10% 10%

Omaheke 3% 3%

Omusati 11% 10%

Oshana 9% 9%

Oshikoto 8% 8%

Otjozondjupa 7% 7%

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Gender equality

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Key Findings

• The majority of Namibians (80%) believe women should have the same chance of being elected to political office as men.

• The number of Namibians who support women in political leadership grew from 70% in 2012, to 80% in 2014.

• Although women express higher levels of support for women in politics than men do, they continue to show lower levels of interest in politics

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Namibians’ support for

women in political leadership

in 2014

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Respondents were asked: Which of the following statements is closest to

your view. Statement 1: Men make better political leaders than women,

and should be elected rather than women. Statement 2:Women

should have the same chance of being elected to political office as

men.

8 911

5

8

1113

15

9

12

38

41 41

3840

43

37

32

48

40

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Urban Rural Male Female Total

Agree very strongly with 1 Agree with 1 Agree with 2 Agree very strongly with 2

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Changing support for women

in political leadership

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67%70%

80%

60%

70%73%74%

78%

86%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

2006 2012 2014

Total Male Female

Respondents were asked: whether women should

have the same chance of being elected to political

office (vs. beliefs that men make better leaders)

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Regional Support for women

in political leadership

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Respondents were asked: whether women should have the same chance of being elected to political

office (vs. beliefs that men make better leaders)

70%

79%

51%

76%73% 72%

77% 77%80%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Namibia Botswana Lesotho Mozambique South Africa Swaziland Zambia Zimbabwe

2012 2014

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Are women interested in

politics?

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Respondents were asked: how interested they would say they were in public affairs.

18%

18%

37%

27%

13%

18%

38%

31%

13%

17%

35%

35%

17%

20%

39%

24%

15%

18%

37%

29%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%

Not at all

Not very interested

Somewhat insterested

Very interested

Total Female Male Rural Urban

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Changing interests in politics

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Respondents were asked: How interested would you say you are in public affairs?

71%

83%

78%

64% 64%

70%

62%

82%

75%

55%57%

63%66%

83%

77%

59% 60%

66%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6

Male Female Total

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Do women discuss politics?

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Respondents were asked: When you get together

with your friends or family, would you say you discuss

political matters?

28%

29%

23%

34%

29%

49%

51%

50%

50%

50%

22%

20%

26%

16%

21%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Urban

Rural

Male

Female

Total

Frequently Occasionally Never

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Changing Trends in the

discussion of politics?

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Respondents were asked: When you get together with your friends or family, would you say you discuss

political matters?

64%

75%

66%69%

76%

58%

66%

56%

60%

66%

61%

70%

61%64%

71%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

R1 R3 R4 R5 R6

Male

Female

Total

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Gender-based violence

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Key Findings

• 13% of Namibian women, and 7% of men reported that they, or a member of their family had been a victim of gender based violence.

• Namibians felt that in 2014, alcohol abuse contributed most significantly to GBV, followed by unemployment and poverty.

• Culture and tradition were not perceived to be major contributors to GBV in Namibia

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Prevalence of GBV in 2014

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Respondents were asked: Over the past year, how often, if

ever, have you or anyone in your family: Been a victim of

gender-based violence?

93%

6%

1% 1%

87%

7%5%

2%

90%

6%3%

1%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

No Yes, once Yes, twice Yes, three or more times

Male Female Total

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Fear and/or experience of

crime, including GBV

20

Respondents were asked whether they, or someone in their

family feared, or had experienced the above.

48

33

39

17

11

38

28 28

14

9

37

27

33

14

8

48

34 34

17

14

43

30

33

15

10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Felt unsafe walking in

neighbourhood

Feared crime in your

home

Had somehting stolen Been physically

attacked

Been a victim of GBV

Urban Rural Male Female Total

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Perceptions on the factors

that contribute to GBV

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Respondents were asked how much they thought the

above factors contributed to GBV in Namibia in 2014.

30%

1%6% 6%

25%

2%

10% 8%

17%

9%

20%18%

27%

87%

64%68%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Cultural and traditional

values

Alcohol abuse Poverty Unemployment

Not at all A little bit Somewhat A lot

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Lived poverty

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Key findings

•Urban and male respondents were around 9% more likely to never face

food shortage in Round 6.

•Namibian respondents were only likely to experience food shortage

several times, many times, or always with 21% agreement.

•Kunene, Kavango West, and Ohangwena were the only regions to

experience less than half of respondents “never” going without food.

•Only three regions (Zambezi, Erongo, and Hardap) featured more than

half of the respondents who “never” experienced a shortage of cash

income.

•Over time since 1999, there is evidence of a decline in those reporting

shortages in food and cash income. Simultaneously, those reporting

“never” have increased over time.

Gone without food 2014

Respondents were asked: How often have you gone without food?

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61%

18%15%

5%

1%

52%

23%

61%

13%

53%

45%

57%

44%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Never once or twice -

always

Several times Many times Always

Urban Rural Male Female Total

Gone without cash income 2014?

25

35%

21%

19%

11%

26%25%

23%

17%

35%

23%

21%

14%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

Never Just once or twice Several times Many times

Urban Rural Total

Respondents were asked: How often have you gone without a cash income?

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Changes over time cash and food

13%

21% 22%25%

35%

49%

78% 78%74%

65%

43%47%

39%

47%

57%57%54%

62%

54%

43%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

1999 2006 2008 2012 2014

Never/cash

Just once to

always/cash

never/food

Just once to

always/food

Respondents were asked: How often have

you gone without food? Cash income?

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Going without a cash income?

51%

54%

52%

41%

20%

37%

39%

18%

16%

21%

24%

35%

26%

42%

Zambezi

Erongo

Hardap

!Karas

Kavango West

Kavango East

Khomas

Kunene

Ohangwena

Omaheke

Omusati

Oshana

Oshikoto

Otjiwarongo

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Never/ cash income

Never/ cash income

How often have you gone without food?

Regional distribution going without

food

75%

58%

70%

64%

48%

61%

56%

20%

48%

56%

53%

64%

61%

58%

Zambezi

Erongo

Hardap

!Karas

Kavango West

Kavango East

Khomas

Kunene

Ohangwena

Omaheke

Omusati

Oshana

Oshikoto

Otjiwarongo

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Never/food

Respondents were asked: How often have you gone without food?

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Basic freedoms

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Key findings

• 91% of respondents expressed that they were

somewhat or completely free to say what they

wanted.

• 98% of respondents expressed freedom to vote

for whom they wanted.

• 95% say they are free to join any political

organisation they wanted.

Freedom to say what you think

2014

31

21%

70%

Somewhat free Completely free

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Respondents were asked: How free are

you to say what you think?

Free to choose who to vote for?

Respondents were asked: How free are you to choose who to vote for?

13%

85%

Vote for

Somewhat free Completely free

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Freedom to join any political organisation?

Respondents were asked: Freedom to join any political organisation?

15%

80%

Join any political group?

Somewhat free Completely free

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Conclusions

Conclusions

• Both male and female respondents felt that

Namibia was ready for the 50-50 gender

empowerment.

• Alcohol was seen as the most important

contributor to gender based violence.

• The “lived poverty” experience tracked the

official poverty results downward.

• Namibian respondents continued to feel that

the country experiences high levels of personal

freedom.

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