| LAC aannounces release of new monograph series |
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| Written by Staff Reporters | |||
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The Gender Research & Advocacy Project of the Legal Assistance Centre has announced the release of a new monograph series. These short publications address important gender-related issues that are hot topics in Namibia’s legal landscape. The first three publications are now available from the Legal Assistance Centre for N$20 per publication. The publications are also available as a free download from the LAC website (www.lac.org.na).
It has been estimated that the bodies of 13 newborn babies are found at the Gammams Water Care Works in Windhoek each month, having been flushed down the toilet by a desperate parent. The first monograph looks at the issue of baby dumping in Namibia. Topics such as the financial pressures that drive orphans and vulnerable children to seek rich ‘sugar daddies’ and the impact of HIV are discussed. The monograph also looks at law reforms aimed at this issue in other countries, and makes recommendations aimed at reducing the rate of baby dumping in Namibia. Monograph 2: Help Wanted: Sex Workers in Katutura, Namibia The second monograph in the series reports on research conducted with 62 girls and women at Stand Together, a Katutura-based, non-profit organisation that offers spiritual teaching, food, clothing, and condoms to women who are or have been sex workers. The data collected is compared to a previous LAC report Whose Body is it? Commercial Sex Work and the Law in Namibia, which is still the largest and most comprehensive study of sex work in Namibia to date. The data shows that on average, the interviewees began sex work at the age of 16. Most have been driven into the job by financial pressures, with many having sold sex for less than N$10. The research found that 50% of these women have been forced to have sex without a condom and 56% have been beaten by their clients. The monograph concludes with a number of recommendations aimed at preventing such abuses, ranging from law reform to education and support for these women. Stalking: Proposed New Legislation for Namibia The third monograph in the series takes a close look at the issue of stalking. Stalking is not a legal term in Namibia and the report discusses whether there is a need for new legislation to address this problem. The monograph looks at the current criminal and civil remedies which can be used to address stalking in Namibia, and compares these options to approaches used to tackle stalking in other countries. The discussion surveys the forms of behaviour that fall within the category of stalking and the impact stalking can have on the victim, and presents a compelling argument on the need for law reform in this area. A recommended draft stalking law for Namibia is included as an appendix to the monograph. |
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