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159:, and involved in many non-governmental organizations including Secretary-General of the Namibian National Women's Organization and patron of Namibian Federation of Persons with Disabilities. As Chairperson of the Law Reform Commission she oversaw the passage of the Married Persons' Equality Act. The commission also did extensive work on Rape Acts and other important laws that were eventually passed after her time.
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until 1990. "When I decided to study law, a white schools inspector told me that as a black child my intelligence was lower than that of a white child and that maybe law was not meant for me," she said to one interviewer. "Today I am a lawyer and I have proved that intelligence has got nothing to do
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Global Task Team on
Improving AIDS Coordination Among Multilateral Institutions and International Donors; the Task Force for Scaling-Up of Education and Training of Health Workers; the Global Commission on HIV and the Law; the Commission on Accountability and Information on Women’s and Children’s
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appointed her
Ombudsman, on recommendation of the Judicial Services Commission, in 1996 and she served there, investigating and resolving complaints of maladministration at all levels, until 2003. She also served as Executive Secretary of the African Ombudsman Association.
273:. Over an extended period the movement detained many thousands of Namibians as part of a "spy scare". These allegations were never proved despite months of solitary confinement and torture. Gawanas later became one of the first Namibians to return alive from the
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issues on the continental agenda. She was elected for two terms, in 2003 and 2008, and after completing her second term in
October 2012, she returned to Namibia where she became Special Advisor to the Minister of Health and Social Services.
461:
at their
September 2012 graduation ceremony. Advocate Bience Gawa!nas was awarded the Most Brilliant Order of the Sun, first class, for her distinguished service above the call of duty, in August 2024 by President Nangolo Mbumba.
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Gawanas's interest in law was sparked after her beloved elder brother Jeka was picked up by whites and beaten to death while hitch-hiking, and police decided it was a "road accident". Her practical training included work with Lord
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277:, Southern Angola, in 1989, some months before many other surviving detainees were released. By July 1989, she and her daughter were repatriated by the
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Health; the Global
Steering Committee on Universal Access; the Commission on Accountability and Information on Women and Children’s Health; and the
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576:"Bience Philomina Gawanas » High-Level Task Force for the International Conference on Population and Development (Secretariat)"
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Bience is the daughter of
Philemon Gawanab and Hilde Rheiss. She attended secondary school at St Theresa Catholic school in
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298:, which ended when apartheid agents murdered Lubowski on his front doorstep in an unsuccessful attempt to destabilize the
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Global
Preparedness Monitoring Board Announces New Board Membership, Bringing Diverse Expertise to Independent Monitoring
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Assembly of Heads of State and
Government, from 2002 to 2012. She was a Commissioner on the Public Service Commission in
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In July 2003 Gawanas was elected by the
African Heads of State as Commissioner of Social Affairs for the
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318:. Her work there included extensive rebalancing of the Namibian civil service. President
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In addition to her government work, Gawanas served on the High-Level Task Force for the
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officials to switch careers from law to nursing. She was expelled from UWC after the
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Global Fund
Selects Roslyn Morauta as Board Chair and Bience Gawanas as Vice-Chair
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study. After this Africa Educational Trust sponsored her through a law degree at
613:"Secretary-General Appoints Bience Gawanas of Namibia Special Adviser on Africa"
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Earlier in her career, Gawanas served as Commissioner for Social Affairs at the
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In 1988 she travelled to Zambia to visit her daughter and was detained by
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In January 2018 Gawanas was appointed Special Adviser on Africa for the
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Gawanas was appointed by Parliament to the Public Service Commission of
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sponsored her as an intern at their headquarters and subsequently on a
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from 1996 to 2003. She has also been a lecturer in Gender Law at the
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Her first job back in Namibia from exile was with advocate
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in Namibia and a teacher. She went into exile and lived in
338:. In that capacity, she sought to increase the profile of
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lawyer who served as Special Adviser on Africa for the
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International Conference on Population and Development
425:(IPPF), Member of the Board of Trustees (since 2020)
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Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
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Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
202:After her expulsion she became an active member of
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522:"Adv Gawanas honoured with Doctorate in Cape Town"
702:"President Mbumba confers national honours | nbc"
452:The University of the Western Cape awarded her a
795:Under-Secretaries-General of the United Nations
546:"Lawyer signals ascent of Africa's modernisers"
482:Gawanab, Lucky; Minney, Tom (12 October 2007).
358:– from 2012 to 2014. She was also part of the
302:. She then worked as with the public-interest
48:Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations
8:
373:Commission on Global Governance for Health.
770:Academic staff of the University of Namibia
654:(GPMB), press release of 30 September 2022.
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423:International Planned Parenthood Federation
234:. She graduated in 1987 and qualified as a
191:sponsors helped her resist the pressure of
175:, southern Namibia. From Tses she went to
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652:WHO Global Preparedness Monitoring Board
417:WHO Global Preparedness Monitoring Board
520:Kambaekwa, Carlos (24 September 2012).
471:
155:, Director of the Board of the Central
114:question marks, boxes, or other symbols
680:Lunyangwe, Strauss (1 November 2019).
409:, Vice-Chair of the Board (since 2023)
765:University of the Western Cape alumni
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785:Namibian expatriates in South Africa
760:Alumni of the University of Warwick
262:on human rights cases such as the "
682:"Ex-beauty queen seeks parly seat"
440:Gawanas is the aunt of politician
249:Namibia was occupied illegally by
14:
635:, press release of 21 April 2023.
220:International Labour Organization
750:African Union Commission members
730:Ademola article at AllAfrica.com
281:and were back on Namibian soil.
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735:Gawanas, Bience P. Gawanas bio
484:"Philemon Gawanab, Khomas man"
431:, Member of the Strategy Board
177:University of the Western Cape
1:
393:. She served at the level of
377:Career at the United Nations
300:1989 UN-supervised elections
419:(GPMB), Member (since 2022)
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143:from 1991 to 1996, and an
755:People from ǁKaras Region
254:with a person's colour."
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328:African Union Commission
310:Career in public service
163:Early life and education
122:Bience Philomina Gawanas
25:Bience Philomina Gawanas
395:Under-Secretary-General
304:Legal Assistance Centre
668:Henley Business School
429:Henley Business School
98:This article contains
534:on 27 September 2012.
228:University of Warwick
153:University of Namibia
556:on 9 September 2017
496:on 9 September 2017
149:Namibian Government
132:from 2018 to 2020.
619:. 15 January 2018.
389:Secretary‑General
371:University of Oslo
340:social development
204:SWAPO Youth League
790:SWAPO politicians
580:icpdtaskforce.org
124:(born 1956) is a
110:rendering support
104:Khoekhoe language
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401:Other activities
391:António Guterres
352:Joaquim Chissano
350:– co-chaired by
290:Early beginnings
275:Lubango dungeons
197:Soweto uprisings
187:, to study law;
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58:Personal details
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218:. In 1981 the
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554:the original
550:The Namibian
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532:the original
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498:. Retrieved
494:the original
489:The Namibian
487:
456:
454:Doctor legum
451:
442:Sade Gawanas
439:
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306:until 1991.
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260:Tony Gifford
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251:South Africa
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185:South Africa
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775:1956 births
585:8 September
560:8 September
500:13 November
332:Addis Ababa
330:, based in
145:Ombudswoman
744:Categories
648:World Bank
466:References
413:World Bank
320:Sam Nujoma
224:labour law
711:25 August
246:in 1988.
236:barrister
199:in 1976.
193:apartheid
181:Cape Town
179:(UWC) in
102:from the
336:Ethiopia
189:Catholic
126:Namibian
687:New Era
600:Members
527:New Era
316:Namibia
147:in the
141:Namibia
67:Namibia
666:
448:Awards
366:Lancet
360:UNAIDS
285:Career
244:London
212:Angola
208:Zambia
271:SWAPO
77:SWAPO
713:2024
587:2017
562:2017
502:2015
354:and
216:Cuba
214:and
169:Tses
63:Born
385:by
238:at
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387:UN
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232:UK
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