By Nour Mostafa – The Borgen Project
Namibia is home to diverse wildlife, including iconic species like black rhinos and desert elephants. However, poaching and habitat destruction pose ongoing threats to these animals. In response, Namibia’s female rangers are at the forefront of conservation efforts, tackling wildlife protection and rural poverty.
These women, often from marginalized backgrounds, safeguard endangered species while earning sustainable incomes and building anti-poaching and wildlife monitoring skills. Through community-based conservation programs, they ensure local involvement and channel the benefits of biodiversity protection back into their communities. By fostering gender equality and creating economic communities, Namibia’s female rangers showcase how conservation can be a powerful tool for social and economic development.
Poverty and Poaching
Namibia faces significant poverty challenges, with approximately 17.2% of the population living on less than $2.15 per day. Moreover, Namibia’s Gini coefficient of 59.1% ranks it as one of the world’s most unequal countries, highlighting significant disparities in wealth distribution, particularly between genders. Regarding this, 46% of female-headed households live in multidimensional poverty compared to 41% of male-headed households.
Multidimensional poverty affects 43.3% of the country’s population, with rural areas experiencing much higher rates of 59.3% compared to urban regions of 25.3%. This means that Namibian women in rural areas suffer the most from poverty. This disproportion highlights the intersection of gender and geographic location as key drivers of poverty in Namibia.
Additionally, poaching remains a critical issue in Namibia, significantly threatening the country’s wildlife. In 2015, poachers killed 97 rhinos and 101 elephants in 2016. These mark the deadliest years of poaching in Namibia’s history. Alka Bhatia, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Namibia Resident Representative, identifies increased poaching as one of Namibia’s top three challenges, noting that it “strikes a blow to the tourist industry and the economy.”
As poaching undermines conservation efforts, it also undermines the country’s potential for sustainable economic growth, directly impacting poverty reduction initiatives and the well-being of marginalized communities.
The Role of NGOs and Female Rangers
Several nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Namibia are addressing the dual challenges of poverty alleviation and wildlife conservation by empowering women through employment. These female rangers are making significant strides not only in wildlife conservation but also in challenging gender stereotypes and supporting their families. The Save the Rhino Trust (SRT) has been a key player in employing female rangers to monitor and protect Namibia’s black rhinos.
This initiative helps preserve endangered species and provide economic opportunities to women in Namibia’s rural Kunene region. Although initially dominated by men, the program now includes six women employed on a salary. Female rangers employed by SRT are taught to recognize rhino footprints, monitor movement patterns and identify potential poaching threats. The ranger’s role is to contribute to conservation efforts and help alleviate poverty for the individual and their family. For Namibian women who are the primary breadwinners, this position enables them to support their dependents financially.
Ultimate Safaris, a leading Namibian tour operator, also works with Huab Under Canvas, a desert camp, to provide unique ecotourism experiences. Through a partnership with conservation programs like SRT, Ultimate Safaris employs female rangers to lead rhino-tracking tours for tourists. Female rangers in this program are paid to guide tourists on rhino-tracking expeditions, which supports both the conservation of rhinos and the sustainable development of the local economy.
Success Rates
Driven by NGOs’ support and women’s unwavering determination, Namibia witnessed a remarkable transformation in gender roles within communal conservancies. No longer limited to traditional roles, women are now stepping into leadership positions across various sectors. The 2018 State of Community Conservation report highlights this shift. The report reveals that women hold 17% of chairperson roles, 41% of treasurer positions, 33% of management committee memberships and 25% of staff roles within these conservancies.
By employing local women in such roles, wildlife conservancies provide them with stable incomes that can improve their economic status. Rural communities have seen substantial benefits, with more than 43.5% of Namibia’s land now managed by conservation. For instance, conservancies have helped communities increase income through wildlife-related ventures like tourism and sustainable game hunting, directly supporting families, including women.
Moreover, poaching figures in Namibia have seen a significant reduction in recent years, reflecting the effectiveness of strengthened conservation efforts. Between 2020 and 2023, rhino killings dropped by more than 50%. This decline is even more striking in the case of elephants, with only eight elephants poached in 2023, a sharp contrast to 101 killed in 2016. These improvements are a testament to the efforts of the Namibian government and conservation organizations being led by women.
Conclusion
Namibia’s female rangers are a beacon of hope, showcasing how conservation and poverty alleviation can go hand in hand. These women empower themselves by protecting wildlife, earning sustainable incomes and uplifting rural communities.
These initiatives combat systemic poverty, advance gender equity and support the United Nations (U.N.) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to life on land (SDG 15) and gender equality (SDG 5). Ultimately, the efforts of Namibia’s female rangers are a powerful reminder that conservation can be a catalyst for global change.
