The Ministry of Gender Equality and Social Welfare is a department of the Namibian government. It was established in 2000 under the name Ministry of Women Affairs and Child Welfare, before that the portfolio was a directorate in the Office of the President. The first minister was Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.[1] In 2005 the ministry was renamed Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (MGECW).
In 2020 the ministry was merged with the Ministry of Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare, and renamed Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare (MGEPESW). Since then it falls under the Office of the President. It still has a dedicated minister, Doreen Sioka.[2]
All gender equality and social welfare ministers in chronological order are:
| Picture | Name | Party | Term start | Term end | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minister of Women Affairs and Child Welfare | |||||||
| 1 | 1952– | 2000 | 2005 | ||||
| Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare | |||||||
| 2 | 1954– | SWAPO | 2005 | 2010 | |||
| 3 | 1960– | SWAPO | 2010 | 2012 | |||
| 4 | 1952–2018 | SWAPO | 2012 | 2015 | |||
| 5 | Doreen Sioka | 1960– | SWAPO | 2015 | 2020 | ||
| Minister of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare | |||||||
| 5 | Doreen Sioka | 1960– | SWAPO | 2020 | |||