Thursday, March 28, 2024

Nkandu Luo opposes call to ban women from bars

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A Mansa woman relaxing over a Mosi lager.
FILE: A Mansa woman relaxing over a Mosi lager.

Gender and Child Development Minister Nkandu Luo says she does not endorse observations that women should be banned from patronizing bars.

Professor Luo put the record straight on gender equality saying banning women from bars is against the Zambian constitution as well as regional and international protocols.

She explained that the SADC protocol on gender and development and the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women emphatically allow gender equality between women and men the right to association and movement.

This is contained in a press statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today.

“I don’t endorse the statement made by a named District Commissioner that women should be banned from patronising bars. This is against our Zambian constitution as well as regional and international protocols. I appeal to my colleagues in leadership at all levels to desist from making sexist comments that discriminate against women or men, girls and boys,” Prof. Luo said.

She stressed that if women were going to be banned from patronizing bars, it means both women and men should also be banned.

The Gender and Child Development Minister appealed to those in leadership positions at all levels to desist from making sexist comments that discriminate against women or men, girls and boys.

She said her Ministry recognizes the abuse of alcohol by women, men and youths in bars which is destroying their morals and family life.

She noted that government through the Ministry of Local Government and Housing has got laws and regulations to guide when bars should be operated but does not discriminate on basis of gender.

Serenje District Commissioner Charles Mwelwa early this month allegedly remarked and banned sex workers in the area from patronising bars and night clubs.

The commercial sex workers teamed up and stormed his office pressing and demanded for empowerment from government.

The Serenje District Commissioner advised the commercial sex workers to stop patronizing bars but venture into clean business.

Last month, Vice President Inonge Wina urged Zambians to avoid using sexist remarks.

Mrs Wina said any sexiest remark from any source is unacceptable.

She said men and women in the country should set an example of civility in various affairs that affect them.

Meanwhile, Gender and Child Development Minister Nkandu Luo has implored the media to give women a human face by highlighting positive stores.

Prof Luo observed that women in the country were given negative headlines showing nudity of women and girls.

Prof Luo encouraged Journalists to write good stories on women and girls as opposed to publishing pictures which are in bad taste.

She however, commended the media for joining hands with her Ministry in exposing defilers, rapists and those who commit sodomy and incest because the cases have educated the would-be-perpetrators from committing similar criminal offences.

Prof Luo said government is concerned by the raising cases of defilement, gender based violence and other related crimes in the country.

40 COMMENTS

  1. Not long ago I read some comments right here on LT about some Zambians fearing a take-over of the country by crazed Islamic zealots. I thought it was sheer hysteria coupled with too much fermented local brew. Until I read this article that there is even talk of banning women from bars.

    Dear Zambians, let’s try to move forward not backward. If you wouldn’t want to see your own sister or mother or daughter guzzling beer in a bar doesn’t mean you should push policy to ban all women from making a free choice.

    • I have always thought of this as a human rights issue…women should focus on being allowed to be human; thus what is good for male is good for female…including finding the toilet sit up! Please don’t ban our ladies from bars!

    • “Women should focus on being allowed to human”?

      Allowed by who? Women are human! Biologically speaking, women are more human than men. Allowed by who? Who decides what women should be? Where did they get the authority from?

    • 1.2 1PLUS1

      You have totally misunderstood me! You asked, ‘who decides what women should be?’ And I will unfortunately answer, men (male)! That is why males want to ban them from bars because they decide who a woman should be; that is why women get less pay for the same jobas men, why tennis is the only sport in the world that has an equal jackpot, why women can not drive in Saudi Arabia-because the male has decided that women are not worthy of his standard..and am saying it is wrong; its not a womens rights issue but a human rights issue!

    • Zambia is a democratic country we should not step on peoples toes.Both men and women should enjoy equal rights.we are not an Islamic state.

    • Frankly there is nothing more pathetic or repulsive than a drunk woman but that’s not to say they can’t be in a bar. If they can afford a bottle why not. Besides some of them are there for business. So cheers!

    • Why use such language on a respectable lady, mother and minister of Gender while we are discussing women and human rights? Being abusive to ladies is a sign of insecurity for any man. Actually if you are a young man, you should go and say the same to your mother! F00L!

  2. So my beautiful full husband or my loving brother cannot take me to a bar for cold one? A night out with hubby sometimes can mean hanging out at the local bar. What up Zambia or it bwana DC?

  3. I probably misunderstood the whole thing. I think two or so DCs suggested banning persons from bars who had trouble paying their bills! My recollection is that mostly such patrons are understood to be women in the Zambian context.

    Everywhere else in the world women take the trouble to share bills if with male partners or settle on their own altogether as should be the normal thing. I have seen some improvement in this direction in Zambia but it is at chameleon’s pace.

    Luo’s message was also partly to address that – equality must also mean equal responsibilities!

    • Going dutch is a foreign concept to most Zambian women. Even the men sometimes find it offensive when after a meal you offer to chip in. So, we need social re-orientation.

    • Sport on Nsimbi. One time at a workshop, this lady, a civil servant asked for a drink . I obliged and took her to the bar where we were lodging at the end of the day. She invited two more friends and a round of Savanna was costing K45. I was taken aback as I thought this behaviour is only found among commercial sex workers.
      These ladies, who were all civil servants were expert drinkers. When they are on their own, they probably drink Mosi but when a man is sponsoring them they want to take a ciders which can be quite expensive in bars and hotels. Zambian women need to progress in this aspect.

  4. ….is some-one trying to wipe out the beer industry…??….by considering such proposals…??…suppose that was also extended to men folks…??…we just leave supper markets to sell take away only..thats a ridiculous proposal…..at one time Pamodzi Hotel had similar rule not allowing unaccompanied females until former miss Zambia Elizabeth Mwanza challenged them,,,,,

    • It was at former Ridgeway hotel and not Pamodzi. The late Judge Peter Chitengi ruled in favour of the hotel “Right of admision…”

    • so ba Blago,
      when Mr William Congreve wrote: “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” you were one of those who thought he was just lying through his teeth, weren’t you?
      ha ha

  5. IF ANYONE IS THINKING OF BANNING ANYTHING, PLEASE, BAN TOBACCO AND CIGARETTE SMOKING INCLUDING THE GROWING OF TOBACCO IN ZAMBIA. REPLACE THOSE TOBACCO FARMS WITH EDIBLE AND OTHER COMMERCIAL CROPS. SMOKING IS NOT NUTRITIOUS. MOREOVER, IT ONLY BRINGS HEALTH COMPLICATIONS IN HUMAN BEINGS. BANNING WOMEN FROM PUBLIC PLACES IN ZAMBIA IS TOTALLY UN ACCEPTABLE. ZAMBIA IS A CHRISTIAN COUNTRY AND NOT AN ISLAMIC COUNTRY. FEMALES LIKE MALES HAVE A GIFT OF FREE WILL. MOREOVER, A PUB IS A PUBLIC LEGAL PLACE.

  6. I met my wife Pembela in a bar in Mpatamatu township in February 1982, to this day, we are still married. We now reside in the UK with our 5 children.
    PRAISE BE TO ZAMBIAN BARS!

  7. Women should not be allowed to patronize bars. They are care givers to their off springs and husbands. Women are very weak when they are drunk and ‘open up’ to any man. Why not drink in the comfort of your home?

  8. guys come on ,when you ban women in bars what are we going to be doing in bars?women make us drink beer smothly and fast if around.

  9. You can see that anyone who stands on principles that sound good but are ungodly is a muddle of utmost confusion. This woman used to pick women from bars and taking them to her ngo called tansintha. her support for gender equality which is ungodly now dictates that she should stand up for their right to stay in bars drinking begged for beer and being bonked every so often for the gratis. what has islam got to do with banning women from bars. look not everything islam is bad. so it is sadcc’s objective that we should increase the number of women in bars? do you not see how finished a woman who frequents bars quickly becomes. Don’t you know that the less the women frequenting bars the fewer the men who will go there?

    • Basila if you don’t want to go to a bar that’s your business but who gives you the right to tell the rest of us where and how to spend our time? Somebody mentioned Islam because they force people to leave in a certain manner against their will. I don’t want that here. It’s my life after all not yours.

  10. Don’t worry Professor Luo, banning women from bars is indirectly banning men from this intoxication wells! If women are banned the bars will be empty. Men patronize bars not only to drink but also to enjoy looking at flowers…..

    • Most Zambian gay men are married to women just to hide their true sexual identity,
      – If women are banned or not Zambian married gay men will always hunt for other gays.
      – Heterosexual men will always cheat on their wives-
      – Some years back WHEN WOMEN WERE BANNED IN BARS …. most top hotels across the country like..Ridgeway, Pamodzi and Intercontinental Hotel bars was full of Zambian gay men looking for foreigners to sell their âsshôlês to!

  11. Who ever made the suggestion that women must not go to bars is a retrogressive mind. Even Christians in this day and age can not support this. People must be free chose how they want to spend their time.

  12. Who wants to drink in a bar with no women apart from gay men. The unfortunate thing is this ridiculous suggestion was made by another woman no wonder they fail to stand up to men. Shame!! For once Nkandu Luo has made sense. Just this once.

  13. i dont get it anyway. you cant ban women from bars thats a primitive thinking. on the other hand i thought prostitution is iligal in zambia? this DC meant ban prostitutes from bars, but how are you going to tell who is who.in any case drunk men pick the so called prostitutes not from bars ,but streets.
    leave the bars alone they are the most democratic places in zambia even more democratic than the church.

  14. Being born a man or a woman should not dictate where you should go or not go. Someone says drunk women get bonked. Do they bonk alone or with a man? It takes two to tangle. Men will look for women anywhere. Instead of struggling to convince a woman[who also wants anyway]for a whole month before she gives in, sex workers make it easier. Who told this DC that women are found only in bars? In any case, anyengesa ya anyoko?

  15. I thought that the DC talked about commercial sex workers? Have we put HIV/AIDS aside in order to be politically correct about gender and women? Anyway, ICASA was a disaster.

  16. Not too long ago women were banned from entering hotels and bars unaccompanied that did not stop them from hiring “toy boys” from their neighbourhoods to escort them to ‘pickup’ bars and street corners.
    Zambian gays on the other hand get to make more money selling their backside to Zambian married men, when women are told to stay put!!

  17. One time at a workshop, this lady, a civil servant asked for a drink . I obliged and took her to the bar where we were lodging at the end of the day. She invited two more friends and a round of Savanna was costing K45. I was taken aback as I thought this behaviour is only found among commercial sex workers.
    These ladies, who were all civil servants were expert drinkers. When they are on their own, they probably drink Mosi but when a man is sponsoring them they want to take a cider which can be quite expensive in bars and hotels. Zambian women need to progress in this aspect.

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