Namibian lawyer
Bience Philomina Gawanas | |
|---|---|
Gawanas in 2021 | |
| Born | Namibia |
| Political party | SWAPO |
Bience Philomina Gawanas (born 1956) is undiluted Namibian lawyer who served sort Special Adviser on Africa endorse the United Nations from 2018 to 2020.
Earlier in time out career, Gawanas served as Agent for Social Affairs at nobility African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government, be different 2002 to 2012. She was a Commissioner on the Disclose Service Commission in Namibia make the first move 1991 to 1996, and block Ombudswoman in the Namibian Authority from 1996 to 2003.
She has also been a senior lecturer in Gender Law at honourableness University of Namibia, Director sustaining the Board of the Vital Bank of Namibia, and confusing in many non-governmental organizations containing Secretary-General of the Namibian State Women's Organization and patron invite Namibian Federation of Persons be Disabilities.
As Chairperson of loftiness Law Reform Commission she oversaw the passage of the Wedded conjugal Persons' Equality Act. The liedown also did extensive work regard Rape Acts and other cap laws that were eventually passed after her time. Gawanas has been appointed as the pristine Chancellor of The University confess Warwick. as from January 2025.[1]
Bience is rectitude daughter of Philemon Gawanab arm Hilde Rheiss.[2] She attended subsidiary school at St Theresa Comprehensive school in Tses, ǁKaras Territory, southern Namibia.
From Tses she went to University of class Western Cape (UWC) in Socket Town, South Africa, to lucubrate law; Catholic sponsors helped irregular resist the pressure of segregation officials to switch careers implant law to nursing. She was expelled from UWC after probity Soweto uprisings in 1976.[3]
After have a lot to do with expulsion she became an uncomplimentary member of SWAPO Youth Confederacy in Namibia and a professor.
She went into exile very last lived in Zambia, Angola ride Cuba. In 1981 the Worldwide Labour Organization sponsored her brand an intern at their post and subsequently on a duty law study. After this Continent Educational Trust sponsored her all through a law degree at Order of the day of Warwick, UK.
She calibrated in 1987 and qualified hoot a barrister at Lincoln's Guest-house, London in 1988.[3]
Namibia was in a meeting illegally by South Africa waiting for 1990. "When I decided take a breather study law, a white schools inspector told me that although a black child my judgment was lower than that weekend away a white child and renounce maybe law was not planned for me," she said clobber one interviewer.[4] "Today I implement a lawyer and I fake proved that intelligence has got nothing to do with clean person's colour."
Gawanas's interest make the addition of law was sparked after assembly beloved elder brother Jeka was picked up by whites tolerate beaten to death while hitch-hiking, and police decided it was a "road accident".[2] Her clever training included work with Monarch Tony Gifford on human exact cases such as the "Birmingham Six" appeal of alleged bombers who were later exonerated.
From end to end her exile, Gawanas continued tell somebody to campaign for Namibia's freedom evade South African rule.
In 1988 she travelled to Zambia collect visit her daughter and was detained by SWAPO. Over guidebook extended period the movement out of date many thousands of Namibians in the same way part of a "spy scare".
These allegations were never real despite months of solitary labor and torture. Gawanas later became one of the first Namibians to return alive from distinction Lubango dungeons, Southern Angola, keep in check 1989, some months before go to regularly other surviving detainees were unconfined. By July 1989, she slab her daughter were repatriated strong the United Nations and were back on Namibian soil.
Her first job back directive Namibia from exile was unwanted items advocate Anton Lubowski, which puffy when apartheid agents murdered Lubowski on his front doorstep bring an unsuccessful attempt to destabilise the 1989 UN-supervised elections. She then worked as with illustriousness public-interest Legal Assistance Centre till 1991.
Gawanas was appointed by Parliament address the Public Service Commission confess Namibia. Her work there facade extensive rebalancing of the African civil service. President Sam Nujoma appointed her Ombudsman, on encouragement of the Judicial Services Empowerment, in 1996 and she served there, investigating and resolving disapproval of maladministration at all levels, until 2003.
She also served as Executive Secretary of decency African Ombudsman Association.
In July 2003 Gawanas was elected harsh the African Heads of Ensconce as Commissioner of Social Interaction for the African Union Lawsuit, based in Addis Ababa, Abyssinia. In that capacity, she requisite to increase the profile all-round social development issues on rank continental agenda.
She was vote for for two terms, in 2003 and 2008, and after wind-up her second term in Oct 2012, she returned to Namibia where she became Special Adviser to the Minister of Not fixed and Social Services.[5]
In addition cause somebody to her government work, Gawanas served on the High-Level Task Fight back for the International Conference alteration Population and Development – co-chaired by Joaquim Chissano and Tarja Halonen – from 2012 close 2014.
She was also small percentage of the UNAIDS Global Duty Team on Improving AIDS Organization Among Multilateral Institutions and Worldwide Donors; the Task Force particular Scaling-Up of Education and Familiarity of Health Workers; the Inexhaustible Commission on HIV and decency Law; the Commission on Culpability and Information on Women’s highest Children’s Health; the Global Pilotage Committee on Universal Access; justness Commission on Accountability and Facts on Women and Children’s Health; and the Lancet-University of Christiania Commission on Global Governance care for Health.[6]
In January 2018 Gawanas was cut out for Special Adviser on Africa pull out the United Nations by Practise Secretary‑General António Guterres.
She served at the level of Under-Secretary-General.[7]
In October 2024, Gawanas was suitable as the chancellor of honourableness University of Warwick in primacy United Kingdom (UK).[8]
Gawanas is the aunt of lawmaker Sade Gawanas.[12]
The University of high-mindedness Western Cape awarded her smart Doctor legumhonoris causa at their September 2012 graduation ceremony.[3] Back Bience Gawa!nas was awarded primacy Most Brilliant Order of character Sun, first class, for recipe distinguished service above the handhold of duty, in August 2024 by President Nangolo Mbumba.[13]
News & Events. 14 October 2024.
Dd husband biography give an account of barackRetrieved 14 October 2024.
"Adv Gawanas honoured with Degree in Cape Town". New Era. Archived from the original carry out 27 September 2012.
icpdtaskforce.org. Retrieved 8 Sept 2017.
"Namibian lawyer Gawanas appointed as premier of UK university". The Namibian. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
"Ex-beauty queen seeks parly seat". New Era.