Title: Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah's fight for gender-inclusive climate policy in Namibia

Authors: Shreya Jajoo; Kenneth Levitt; Joseph C. Santora

Addresses: École des Ponts Business School, 6 Pl. du Colonel Bourgoin, 75012 Paris, France ' Frostburg State University (FSU), 101 Braddock Road, Frostburg, Maryland 21532-2303, USA ' École des Ponts Business School, 6 Pl. du Colonel Bourgoin, 75012 Paris, France

Abstract: In December 2024, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah became Namibia's first female president, leading a nation facing severe climate risks, entrenched gender inequality, and economic dependence on extractive industries. With over 80% of the country arid or semi-arid, climate change disproportionately affected rural women - key food producers often excluded from decision-making. Nandi-Ndaitwah aimed to integrate gender equity into climate policy by expanding community-based natural resource management (CBNRM), introducing gender quotas in environmental bodies, and securing climate finance for women-led adaptation projects. Her agenda aligned with the UNFCCC Gender Action Plan and the SDGs but met resistance from traditional leaders, corporations, and factions within her SWAPO party. Facing this opposition, she weighed three strategies: bold nationwide reform, incremental regional pilots, or reframing gender equity as an economic necessity. Each path presented trade-offs, offering a case study in leadership, climate governance, and gender politics in post-liberation democracies.

Keywords: Africa; climate resilience; environment; gender inclusive; intersectional; leadership; Namibia; politics; sustainable development.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTCS.2026.155404

International Journal of Teaching and Case Studies, 2026 Vol.16 No.3, pp.244 - 267

Received: 05 Nov 2025
Accepted: 04 Dec 2025
Published online: 31 Jul 2026 *

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