Cover -- Title page -- Copyright page -- Contents -- Basel Namibia Studies Series -- Preface -- Acknowledgements -- Introduction -- Researching gender politics -- Structure of the book -- Methodology and notes on sources -- Oral sources -- Primary sources -- Secondary sources -- Themes and debates -- Oral sources -- Women and the war of liberation -- Women and the military -- The roles and status of African women in pre- and colonial societies -- Female bodies: Sites of violence -- A comparative glance at the question of sexual abuse and sexuality in the situation of war -- Camp experiences: Inclusions and exclusions -- Feminism vs. liberation/emancipation of women in African national liberation movements -- The aftermath: Women after the liberation struggle -- 1. "There can be no national liberation without 29 the full participation of women": The role and position of women in the liberation struggle -- The people's war -- Periodisation of the liberation struggle: The political environment -- 1970-1978 -- 1979-1979 -- Mobilisation inside the country: Rallying women, women at rallies -- "Who do they think SWAPOs are?": Provision of assistance to SWAPO -- "Beware of your political preferences": Consequences -- "A woman's place is in the struggle": The role played by women in exile -- The establishment of the SWAPO Women's Council -- Mobilization in exile -- Platforms and Media -- International conferences and networking -- Meetings in the settlements -- 10 December and 8 March -- "The Namibian woman" -- Sisterhood and Solidarity -- The role of women in the settlements/camps -- Caring of the young ones -- Nursing -- Food production -- Manufacturing and studying -- Sisters in arms: Women in the military wing -- Summary -- 2. Idealised struggle? Public and Visual Representations of Women.

Heroines and Legends: (Re-)presenting the women leaders and icons of the struggle -- Kakurukaze Mungunda -- Meekulu Putuse Appolus -- Dr Libertina Inaviposa Amathila -- Pendukeni Kaulinge -- Penny Hilite Hashoongo -- Angela Yvone Davis -- Inclusion and exclusion -- "This is what we stand for": Public declarations by SWAPO's male and female leadership -- Liberated zones -- The politics of gendered bodies and symbolic representations -- Mothers of the nation -- The face of repression -- Floggings -- Kassinga Massacre -- Rape - A strategy for repression -- Rauna Nambinga -- Lucia Hamutenya -- Ida Jimmy -- The visual liberation of women -- The legacy of the war -- Victims, perpetrators or actors? -- Summary -- 3. Women and the SWAPO Refugee Camps -- The history of the camps -- Arrival at a camp -- Structures and infrastructures -- A normal day in a camp -- Normality against all odds -- Threats and challenges -- Attacks -- Lack of basic necessities -- Access to positions of leadership and control -- Helplessness and despair -- Reminiscences: The good old days -- Comradeship -- "SWAPO was our mother and our father" -- "We left those issues here and found them when we got back to Namibia" -- Summary -- 4. Sexual Politics in the Camps -- Shifting sexuality patterns in Namibia -- Polygamy and the colonial state -- Definitions of rape and sexual abuse -- Circumstances under which rape and sexual abuse were committed against women -- The trips between Namibia and the host country -- "Ondjolo": Goodies for sex -- "No comrade says 'no' to another comrade" -- "Rape? I do not know what you are talking about" -- One hand washes the other -- Controlling female sexuality: No foreign men -- Some relationships were genuine -- The position of SWAPO regarding rape and sexual abuse -- Disciplinary measures and structures.

Attitudes towards polygamy in post-independent Namibia -- Momeya iha mu inyenge mwaana okapuka -- Summary -- 5. Education and Training -- Education and training in apartheid Namibia -- Education in exile -- Pre-school education -- Formal education -- Secondary education -- Upper Secondary Education -- The Namibia Secondary Technical School in Loudima -- Vocational training -- Tertiary education, scholarships and institutions of Higher Learning -- The United Nations Institute for Namibia -- International university and scholarships -- Informal education: Adult education programmes and skilldevelopment -- Women's programmes -- Nutrition and childcare -- Tailoring, weaving and knitting projects -- Teaching materials and content -- Feminist-oriented education -- Family planning -- The relationship between education, development, employment,power sharing and equal relations -- Liberation of women through education -- Gender equality and family relations -- Summary -- 6. "All has not been won. Not everything has been lost": Women in post-independent Namibia -- Formal equality -- Substantive equality -- From a Women's Desk to a fully-fledged ministry -- National policies and documents -- Various national commitments -- International agreements -- Law and policy reform on gender -- Non-governmental organizations and civil society -- The struggle continues -- Power-sharing and decision-making at the political level -- Power-sharing and decision-making at the political level -- Power-sharing and decision-making at the household level -- Education for all -- Women and employment -- Women and the land -- Gender-based violence -- "You are your own liberators" -- Summary -- Epilogue -- Abbreviations -- List of Illustrations and Map -- Bibliography -- Archives -- Literature -- Internet sources -- Interview participants -- Index -- Back cover.