152 Kariseb/Implementation of article 9 of the Women’s Rights Protocol in Namibia policy document about 52 per cent of the population in rural areas are female;82 away from the mainstream political processes and spaces in urban and peri-urban Namibia. Even the very limited few who have financial resources to penetrate political avenues often find political spaces and positions of influence relatively intimidating and genderinsensitive. Given the above outlined challenges, there is room for improvement and opportunities. These opportunities will have to begin with electoral reform at political party level because of the centrality of party politics in the electoral cycle. Clearly, as evidenced from the affirmative action measures taken by SWAPO in Namibia, temporary special measures are a feasible consideration for women’s emancipation and should thus be integrated by all political parties. In fact, reforms within the Electoral Act should require political parties to include temporary special measures in favour of women at party level. Parties can also provide special funds to ease the financial burden associated with running for political office for women, who in any event are more economically strained than men as discussed above. Another opportunity that can be explored is through law reform aimed at making political life more family-friendly. Women in Namibia, as in most parts of the world, still bear a greater part of family relations whilst at the same time exploring opportunities in the public realm. Women in Namibia who find themselves in political spaces experience difficulties in finding ground between work and other duties. There may therefore be a need to amend the Electoral Act of 2014 and Labour Act of 2007 or, alternatively, the parliamentary rules and procedures, to reflect the experiences of women in electoral, political and parliamentary process by reducing the hours of labour required of female parliamentarians and for their participation even during their possible physical absence in political structures even during maternity periods, by providing for say alternative voting or participation procedures, as the case may be. 6 CONCLUSION The domestic implementation of article 9 of the Women’s Rights Protocol has come a long way in the legal framework of Namibia. As shown in the paper, the domestication of article 9 of the Women’s Rights Protocol within the Namibian legal framework is a hybrid exercise; somewhat canvassed indirectly within the constitution and more fragmentally within various legislative instruments relating to public entities. As far as its implementation is concerned the voluntary gender quotas introduced by the ruling party and further political commitment from central government contributed immensely to the incremental increase in women’s representation in political processes and decision-making organs such as parliament. 82 As above.