The First Lady of Zambia Mrs. Esther Lungu has called for protection of human rights of women and girls for them to effectively contribute to sustainable development.
According to the statement released to the media by Zambia’s First Secretary for Press and Public Relations at the UN Mr Chibaula D. Silwamba, the First Lady made the call when she addressed delegates to the 60th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW60) on Thursday during a high-level meeting titled, “Africa’s Year of Human Rights with a particular focus on the Rights of Women: Opportunities and Challenges” jointly convene by the United Nations’ Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA) and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
Mrs. Lungu said the continued neglect to recognize the immense contributions women make to the family unit which remain unsalaried, unquantified and unappreciated must be confronted head-on.
“Land tenure, child marriage, negative cultural practices, work place evils against women, the modern day slavery – that is trafficking in women, sexual exploitation to mention but a few – all require stringent and practical measures in order to expediently zero rate them. We have to adopt some of the football rules like coming up with a Red Card Campaign against these vices,” said Mrs. Lungu, thereby attracting cheer from the audience.
The First Lady encouraged women around the globe to assert themselves and stand up to be recognised.
Mrs. Lungu said women must ably exercise their rights, and ensure that their voices were heard.
“I can share firsthand experience through my interactions with women at all levels that the female fraternity is more than ready to push the sustainable development agenda forward. But without women’s rights it will be a protracted journey,” the Zambian First Lady said.
Mrs. Lungu said the non-domestication of international, regional and sub regional instruments continue to sabotage women’s inclusion in the sustainable development agenda.
The First Lady informed the gathering that Zambia had taken the opportunity to accelerate women’s rights by amending the Republican Constitution to incorporate gender equity and equality in line with international, regional and sub regional instruments on gender.
“Following the amendment of the Constitution in January, this year 2016, the Government established the Gender Equality Commission with the mandate to monitor, investigate, educate, and research and advice on issues of gender equity and equality,” said Mrs. Lungu.
Moderator of the high-level meeting, (OHCHR) Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ivan Šimonovi? commended Mrs. Lungu for her leadership in championing women’s issues.
Mr. Šimonovi? also commended Zambia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Her Excellency Dr Mwaba Kasese-Bota for strongly standing for women’s rights at the UN Headquarters.
Contributing to the discussions, Policy Monitoring and Research Centre (PMRC) Executive Director Bernadette Deka challenged the international community to move from rhetoric to action in addressing human rights, gender equality and equity issues.
“We need to be impactful efforts,” said Ms. Deka, and called for incorporation of, and support to, rural women.
The CSW60 opened at UN Headquarters in New York on Monday 14 March 2016 with a priority theme focusing on women’s empowerment and its link to sustainable development.
The CSW is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women.
The CSW is instrumental in promoting women’s rights, documenting the reality of women’s lives throughout the world, and shaping global standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women.
Mrs. Lungu has won local and international recognition for her role in championing empowerment of women, girls and differently abled persons.
Does this include the UPND cadre that was stripped by PF cadres in full view of the police?
The most honourable act she should have done was to condemn perpetrators of political violence especially PF and UPND against women before going to New York.
Kafumukache, you are so right. Her voice should have been the first to cry out in anger and protest. Is she not ashamed to go and speak humbly in New YORK about women abuse?
Maybe she wasn’t told the topic of discussion upfront only to find yaaba sivamene ve tasiya kunyumba ivi
THE RED CARD CAMPAIGN FIRST AND FOREMOST GOES TO LUNGU AND HIS VIOLENT PF PARTY. HOW CAN YOU DEGRADE AND HUMILIATE A WOMAN, JUST BECAUSE SHE IS A WEAKER SEX, BY STRIPPING HER NAKED IN PUBLIC, STEALING AWAY HER DIGNITY? THIS IS MORE THAN PHYSICAL ABUSE. I APPEAL TO ALL THE GIRLS AND WOMEN IN ZAMBIA TO GIVE LUNGU AND HIS FAILED PF A RED CARD ON AUGUST 11. VOTE THEM OUT OF POWER. LUNGU IS TOO DRUNK WITH POWER SUCH THAT HE NOW IS ABUSING IT. LUNGU IS A VERY DANGEROUS PRESIDENT FOR ZAMBIA. LUNGU HAS INTRODUCED A NEW CULTURE OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN OUR COUNTRY. REJECT LUNGU VOTE LUNGU OUT. VIVA HH VIVA! VIVA UPND VIVA!
bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla……………..!!!!!!!!!!!!
Shut up Patience! Wee chisushi iwe!!
Clarification was wee -chi-su-shi- iwe!!
What the First Lady is saying is the opposite of what happens in Zambia. What about when her husband appointed KANENE Ambassador dorm Gender based violence, a convicted rapist or when PF cadres undressed a UPND lady in public. Empowerment of women is not only about educating or appointing the females members of the community to high positions. It is also about respect for women. The First Lady should speak out against what happens to women in Zambia.