| Contributors | 9 |
| List of Abbreviations | 15 |
| Acknowledgements | 17 |
| Foreword Anton Bösl | 19 |
| Introduction Oliver C Ruppel | 21 |
| SECTION I: Promoting women’s rights and gender equality inNamibia | |
| Promoting women’s rights and gender equality inNamibia Anton Bösl | 27 |
| SECTION II: Women’s Action for Development | |
| Women’s Action for Development: 15 Years of experience withcustomary practice in rural Namibia Veronica de Klerk | 33 |
| SECTION III: Women and Custom in Namibia | |
| Women and Custom in Namibia: A research overview Lotta Ambunda and Stephanie de Klerk | 43 |
| SECTION IV: Polygyny in Ovambadja | |
| Polygyny in Ovambadja: A female perspective Prisca Anyolo | 83 |
| SECTION V: Strengthening women's rights | |
| Strengthening women's rights Manfred O Hinz | 93 |
| SECTION VI: Women and law reform in Namibia – recent developments | |
| Women and law reform in Namibia – recent developments Tousy Namiseb | 107 |
| SECTION VII: Some judicial reflections on women and custom in Namibia | |
| Strengthening women's rights Kato van Niekerk | 113 |
| SECTION XIII: Implications of Violence against women | |
| Implications of Violence against women: A student perspective from Academia Oliver C. Ruppel, Kingo Mchombu and Itah Kandjii-Murangi | 119 |
| SECTION IX: The socio economic position of women subject to customary law | |
| The socio economic position of women subject to customary law: A southern African perspective Julie Stewart | 131 |
| SECTION X: Women and custom in Namibia – The legal setting | |
| The relevant legal foundations Wilmary Visser and Katharina Ruppel-Schlichting | 149 |
| Bibliography | 165 |
| Appendix I: Legal texts | 173 |
| Appendix II: List of useful contact institutions | 225 |