Minister Doreen Sioka says traditional and cultural practices cause women to still be undervalued, have fewer choices and experience multiple forms of violence at home and in public. The Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (MGECW) says such negative experiences impact women and children’s early development. Sioka made the remarks in a speech read on her behalf at the International Women’s Day commemoration. The day was observed in Windhoek two-days ago under the theme ‘I am Generation Equality: Realising Women’s Rights’. She said framing gender equality as a women’s issue fails to highlight the importance of gender equality for the health and well-being of the next generation. Minister Sioka called for better insights into the complex, adaptive interactions between various societal and human factors contributing to gender inequality. She said there was a need to find approaches that take such complexity into account. International Women’s Day recognises women for their achievements, without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political.