Shorter version Biography of Linda Reanate Magano Baumann

Linda RM Bauman is a Feminist, Human Rights and Communications Activist who specialises in the human rights of Women, Girls and LGBTI people. She is currently the Interim Coordinator of the Namibia Diverse Women’s Association (NDWA)- an organisation that advocates for the rights and the bodily autonomy of Women, Girls and Trans Diverse persons in Namibia.

Linda was the Director of Out-Right Namibia who administered the strategic, programmatic operational and management of the organisation as well as movement building, from 2010-2016 and one of the founding members.

Before joining ORN, Linda worked as the Project Officer- Human Rights and Media at the Rainbow Project, the national Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex organization in Namibia that closed in 2009.

Linda started to work in the human rights movement in the year 2000 and equivalently focused on the rights of young girls, women and sexual minorities. Linda is a trained paralegal by Legal Assistance Centre and chaired the Namibian Paralegal Association 2006-2010.  She worked with the Namibian Girl Child Association and was very active in establishing young girls support group systems.  

Linda was radio presenter at Base FM from 2009-2013, where she hosted topical programmes and a social program impacting the lives of the listeners. She also chaired the Gender and Media Southern Africa (GEMSA)- Namibian chapter 2009-2011. Additionally, Linda served as the Female Co-chair of Pan Africa ILGA from 2007-2014 and was the Alternate secretary general of ILGA World 2011-2012. Linda has vast experience in working at SADC, regional and international level.

Linda further started chairing the Media Institute for Southern Africa- Namibian chapter 2009 until this current period. She is one of the few women in the country who served on a weekly National Television Programme the “The Week that Was” as a Media Activist commentator. The focus of this programme was to review the weekly newspaper headlines as assessments for discussion with an overall national view on key issues affecting the country.  As a human rights defender Linda has been very active in a number of local NGO forums and organisations within and outside of the country. She is currently serving the Management Committee as Chairperson of Women’s Solidarity Namibia a local women’s organisation working on gender based violence and Human rights violations towards women and young girls.

With these foundations and principles, she prioritizes leadership development, human rights, social justice, emancipation of movement building as well as Health & Wellbeing and legal reform as its main strategic areas of focus.