The Zambia National Women’s Lobby Group (ZNWL) has bemoaned the continued low representation of women in political decision making positions.
Women’s Lobby board chairperson Beauty Katebe said the just ended 2016 elections revealed a small marginal increase that was recorded at both government and parliamentary level in which only 135 female councillors out of over 1500 councillors were elected.
She noted that only 9 female Mayors out of 104 and 28 female Members of Parliament (MP) where 26 were elected and 2 nominated out of 164 MPs and that no female was elected on a provincial level in all the 10 provinces.
ZANIS reports that Ms. Katebe stated that the situation was unimpressive and can only be changed by truthfully identifying and analysing the hindrances to women’s ascension to leadership positions.
She noted that one requires broad based knowledge and skills such as the capacity to harness the limited resources and the ability to identify and anticipate opportunities for influencing positive change.
Ms. Katebe encouraged women to go to school to acquire skills that can make them become effective in managing the local government system in an efficient manner that will empower young girls to take up leadership positions.
She said this during the official opening of the national capacity building conference for female local government leaders in Lusaka
Meanwhile Councilor for Chililabombwe District, Jane Daka encouraged women to participate in community work and women empowerment community programs.
Chairperson of Women’s Lobby and Executive Director of Women’s Lobby issuing condtradicting statements.
It is laughable to hear the reasoning of these women movements. When we are crying out to them during adoptions they are very quite . Even during campaigns they are nowhere to be seen or are selective ,meanwhile they would have received a lot of funding to enhance women participation. Now you want to see women when the game is over ,how? And where from ?This game has gone on for too long. Get real!
Why is it that most women in these feminist organisations look like men?
I think Tasila Lungu is the only one that exhibited the true spirit of the Pioneering Woman. Just get in at the start of adoptions, with hands on hips, tell them there is not enough equality exhibited!!
Seriously, this Women lobby is compromised by Zambian cultural understanding of where the woman belongs. Maybe these old birds trying to speak for the young women should let the young gals begin their own revolution. And always the voters decide. Are there enough female voters in the voting population? Are they registering to vote? Maybe we should start there. Next is a programme to sensitise women of all social stratas of this equality drive. I think the problem s women themselves. Open the imagination.
So true, you campaigned for women who stood as MPs and Counselors and you are you had nothing to do with the Presidential- Nawakwi why?