Where are the nation's mothers? The Swapo Party Women''s Council will hold its elective congress this week in Keetmanshoop, which will see incumbent leader Petrina Haingura, her deputy Eunice Iipinge and Sylvia Kandanga vying for the secretary position. The congress comes at a time when the women''s body is being criticised for lacking relevance in the face of contemporary problems and is now labelled as a shadow of its former self. The current SPWC led by Haingura has failed to stand up for women in this country and there has been little focus on the need to address the challenges faced by mothers and girls. The pathetic state of affairs at the SPWC is further demonstrated by poor campaigning for the top positions, which will be filled this weekend. There has been absolutely nothing to write home about as far this elective congress is concerned. Most of those running for office have shied away from media interviews and we can''t even recall a single media briefing called to promote the Keetmanshoop gathering. The media has clearly lost out on a chance to grill the prospective candidates on their policies, aspirations and what exactly they can offer to ordinary citizens. The league has been silent on women''s rights and one wonders if the status quo will change after this weekend''s elections. Will the women''s wing ultimately transform and change the way it deals with issues or will we see another useless leadership emerging? The feminisation of poverty, unemployment and crime remain some of the issues facing women in this country. Where are the solidarity marches against institutionalised gender subjugation? The SPWC has the power and therefore massive influence to propagate the agendas of women in this country. Gender activists, however, don''t have the political clout to advance and sustain the women''s agenda. The deafening silence of the SPWC on a number of national issues raise questions about its relevance and whether it still has a role to play in transforming the lives of Namibian women.Where are the nation's mothers? The Swapo Party Women''s Council will hold its elective congress this week in Keetmanshoop, which will see incumbent leader Petrina Haingura, her deputy Eunice Iipinge and Sylvia Kandanga vying for the secretary position. The congress comes at a time when the women''s body is being criticised for lacking relevance in the face of contemporary problems and is now labelled as a shadow of its former self. The current SPWC led by Haingura has failed to stand up for women in this country and there has been little focus on the need to address the challenges faced by mothers and girls. The pathetic state of affairs at the SPWC is further demonstrated by poor campaigning for the top positions, which will be filled this weekend. There has been absolutely nothing to write home about as far this elective congress is concerned. Most of those running for office have shied away from media interviews and we can''t even recall a single media briefing called to promote the Keetmanshoop gathering. The media has clearly lost out on a chance to grill the prospective candidates on their policies, aspirations and what exactly they can offer to ordinary citizens. The league has been silent on women''s rights and one wonders if the status quo will change after this weekend''s elections. Will the women''s wing ultimately transform and change the way it deals with issues or will we see another useless leadership emerging? The feminisation of poverty, unemployment and crime remain some of the issues facing women in this country. Where are the solidarity marches against institutionalised gender subjugation? The SPWC has the power and therefore massive influence to propagate the agendas of women in this country. Gender activists, however, don''t have the political clout to advance and sustain the women''s agenda. The deafening silence of the SPWC on a number of national issues raise questions about its relevance and whether it still has a role to play in transforming the lives of Namibian women.