A Woman stabbed to death by her boyfriend. A Man admits to stabbing his wife 27 times. Naked body of an unidentified woman discovered with multiple stab wounds. These were some of the reports published in The Namibian newspaper in 2025; highlighting the severity of gender-based violence. One turns on the news or picks up a newspaper and encounters the same stories that dominate public attention. According to the Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, Dr. Emma Kantema, over 4,000 gender violence cases were reported in 2025, with 1345 of these being rape cases. 

These numbers are more than statistics. Behind each number there is a family left behind to grieve a daughter, a sister, a mother. These statistics are a brutal reflection of the state of our humanity. We rightly invest vast resources to protect humanity by confronting global threats such as climate change. But what is the point if, at the same time, we are destroying one another from within? No one should lose their life at the hands of another human being; not through domestic violence, not through sexual assault, nor through any other form of gender-based violence. These are preventable crimes and continued failure to protect one another is not just heartbreaking; it is unacceptable.

When violence turns into death, society cannot sit back and watch numbers multiply. Continuous acts of gender-based violence leave future generations questioning the world they inherit. These crimes instill fear, shatter families, and fracture communities. Too many cases go unreported due to shame and fear of judgment. When we stop treating GBV as a trend and recognise it as a national and a global crisis, we reclaim the power to protect humanity. The solution lies in education, awareness campaigns, strong legal action, support for survivors, and the courage to confront violence wherever it occurs. Only then can we hope to break the cycle and build a safer, just future for all.