THE Government has secured US$3.3 million for women and youth empowerment schemes to boost the continued fight against gender discrimination in communities.
Gender Minister Nkandu Luo said $1.6 million would be used to fund women entrepreneurship training programmes while $1.7 million would go towards boys’ sensitisation campaigns on the role of women as equals in society.
Professor Luo, who is Munali parliamentary aspiring candidate, said the programmes would equip women with business skills and help change social perceptions about them with a view to reducing gender imbalances.
She said this yesterday when she launched the International Widows Day at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Lusaka.
“As Zambians we need to begin to interrogate some of these cultural beliefs and traditional norms which have perpetuated the suffering of our women and girls in communities,” Prof Luo said.
She said the Government remained committed to its resolve to curb all forms of discrimination against women by enforcing relevant legislation to curb the vice.
Prof Luo said this was because women had continued to be at the receiving end of discrimination and property grabbing in the event of the death of a spouse.
United Nations (UN) General Secretary Ban Ki-moon in a speech to commemorate International Widows Day read by Anglican resident city canon Emmanuel Chikoya observed that globally widows had continued to suffer discrimination based on their gender.
Mr Ban said young widows’ lives were characterised by challenges, which included meeting childcare responsibilities in the face of limited economic opportunities.
He urged societies around the world to support women in their quest to lead productive, equal and fulfilling lives.
And Anglican Church’s Ruth Fellowship chairperson Felicia Sakala said the death of a husband often robbed women of financial and moral support.
Ms Sakala said there was need to strengthen women’s rights to land, property and inheritance to reduce their suffering when their spouses died.
She urged the Church to continue providing spiritual guidance and financial assistance to women who lost their husbands for them to lead decent lives.
Lazy reporters! Where was this money secured from? Was it donated or borrowed? How will recipients be selected? Will these funds be given as grants or loans?
Mumbi playing with words, just say government has borrowed money and increased the national debt load, it has no money of its own to do things like this.
Rather “Luo playing with words”……(Sorry Mumbi)
Just say PF has continued borrowing to appease the electorate. This is what we call last minute knee jerk ejaculations which don’t work.
Always the same thing with politicians as they do their campaigns. A promise of this and that even when they know its not true. A government already in debt, how are they going to pay all that money back? And what development when women are still living in poverty. Mama Wina what have you done lately for women when a young lady was being stripped naked in your presence and don’t do anything. Please stop using the term women and youth empowerment because only women in politics and their fellow friends will reap these benefits.
They should have selected the south african printer for ballot papers and saved $2m which could have been used in such peojects than borrow unnecessarily. What a wasteful government.
Huge sums of money are trumpeted every election season but all one sees is more trees being dressed up. Awe mwe!
$1.7 million to used to sanitise boys that women are equal…..
That money is already stolen…..
Can a normal president allow that, Amazed at Edgar Chakolwa Kaloba Wrungu’s talent to have such a bunch of people who are as clueless,visionless,useless,brainless,hopeless,needless,directionless,spineless,soundless,dullness and drunkards as him.