There is no legal protection for same-sex couples in domestic relationships in Namibia. We are standing in solidarity with Namibians that are discriminated on by the combating of domestic violence act 4 of 2003.

Now more than before we need to unite to stand in unity against violence in all forms and provide protection for communities that are not included in the current domestic violence act of 2003.

The United Nations Human Rights Committee, which monitors the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, has expressed concern about the lack of protection for same-sex couples in domestic relationships in Namibia. In 2016, the Human Rights Committee, in its concluding observations on Namibia’s second report under this Covenant, strongly urged Namibia to “include same-sex relationships in the Combating of Domestic Violence Act (Act No. 4 of 2003) so
as to protect same-sex partners”.

This petition is demanding the policy makers to remove the phrase “being of different sexes” fromsection 3(1)(b) and (f). These two paragraphs would then read as follows:
(b) they, being of different sexes, live or have lived together in a relationship in the nature of marriage, although they are not, or were not, married to each other;
(f) they, being of different sexes, are or were in an actual or a perceived intimate or romantic relationship.