Rethinking Approaches for Responding to Child Maltreatment in Namibia: Decolonizing Child Welfare

Abstract

In Namibia, current child welfare interventions remain heavily influenced by Eurocentric models rooted in colonial policies established during German and South African rule. These models continue to shape responses to child maltreatment, often overlooking Indigenous worldviews and culturally grounded care practices. Indigenous children in Namibia remain disproportionately affected by child maltreatment, and systemic responses frequently fail to address the historical and structural drivers of harm. This study explores the historical and systemic roots of child maltreatment in Namibia; particularly how colonial legacies have shaped child welfare systems. It also seeks to identify culturally appropriate and community-informed strategies to prevent and respond to child maltreatment. Using a qualitative research design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 Indigenous community members and 5 officials from the Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication, and Social Welfare, as well as through online archival sources. Three key themes emerged: (a) the cross-cutting and ongoing impacts of colonial legacies on Indigenous family life and child-rearing practices; (b) the disruption of cultural parenting systems and confusion between traditional and colonial child-rearing norms; and (c) the persistence of intergenerational trauma as both a legacy and mechanism of continued harm. Participants emphasized that current legal and child protection systems remain reactive, centralized, and disconnected from Indigenous ways of life, while structural inequalities continue to undermine family well-being. The findings underscore the need to decolonize Namibia’s child welfare system by centering Indigenous voices and knowledge systems. This includes promoting community-led responses, trauma-informed care, economic support for families, and systemic reforms across policy, practice, and education.