Elma Jane Dienda is a Namibia

Namibia

Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...

n politician and teacher. A member of the Congress of Democrats

Congress of Democrats

The Congress of Democrats is a political party in Namibia, led by Ben Ulenga. It is an opposition party represented in the National Assembly.The party is an observer of the Socialist International.- 2004 elections :...

, Dienda was a member of the National Assembly of Namibia

National Assembly of Namibia

The National Assembly of Namibia is the lower chamber of the country's bicameral Parliament. It has a total of 78 members. 72 members are directly elected through a system of party-list proportional representation and serve five-year terms. Six additional members are appointed by the President.The...

 from taking CoD's final spot in 2004 until CoD did not receive enough votes for her re-election in 2009. She is of South African and Malawi

Malawi

The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...

an descent.

Career

Dienda is a teacher by profession, having earned an education diploma at the Windhoek College of Education

Windhoek College of Education

The Windhoek College of Education is a public university in Khomasdal, Windhoek, Namibia. It opened in 1978 and is one of four national colleges of education....

 and worked at Eldorado High School in Khomasdal

Khomasdal

Khomasdal is a suburb of Namibia's capital of Windhoek in the Khomas Region. Founded as Windhoek's residential area for Coloured people, Khomasdal still is primarily composed of Coloured people....

. She received training as a counselor at Catholic AIDS Action.

Political positions

Dienda led a drive in the National Assembly which called for the distribution of condoms to prison inmates as a means of preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS. Dienda and other opposition politicians were shouted down, with Utoni Nujoma

Utoni Nujoma

Utoni Daniel Nujoma is a Namibian politician. He is the son of Sam Nujoma, who was President of Namibia from 1990 to 2005, and was Deputy Minister of Justice until being appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2010...

 and Petrus Iilonga

Petrus Iilonga

Petrus Iilonga is a Namibian politician, as well as a former trade union leader and former political prisoner. A member of the South West Africa People's Organization , Iilonga has been the Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Welfare since his appointment in 2000.Iilonga was born in...

vocally opposing the idea. Several SWAPO members denied that sexual activities ever occurred in prisons.