PRESIDENT Hage Geingob has likened Namibian men to an endangered species, saying they have been overtaken by women in academics and places of worship.

He made the remarks when accepting the 2017 African Excellence Award on Gender from the Gender Is My Agenda Campaign network on Tuesday.

While he acknowledged the progress made by Namibia in addressing the issue of gender imbalance, he said the menfolk are slowly being left behind, and it is a sad reality.

“These days, you see young girls packing the church. It’s a good thing, but the boys are not there.

“When you go to graduation ceremonies, you see young girls graduating. The men and the young boys are not there.”

He said some men are threatened by women degree holders, and this has led to cases of assault against women.

Geingob is known for his belief that gender-based violence against women is perpetuated by men who lack confidence and feel threatened by women’s success.

He said such violence has reached worrying levels, and is a matter of national concern.

“I think it is very bad here.”

University of Namibia statistics showed that over the past four years, there were 7,870 female graduates, compared with only 4,573 male graduates.

In April, 1,159 women graduated from the Namibia University of Science and Technology, compared with just 882 men.

“Talk to the young men out there. We are facing a very serious situation in Namibia. We are an endangered species,” said Geingob.

He was given the award for his efforts in establishing a legal and policy framework for the promotion and protection of women’s rights in Namibia. – Bernama, June 8, 2018.