Ponga calls for poverty reduction in women headed households

Government says the country has made tremendous progress in reducing poverty in female headed households at national level.

Ministry of Gender Permanent Secretary Auxila Ponga has however said in as much as the country has recorded positive results in reducing poverty in women headed households, more still needs to be done.

ZANIS reports that Dr Ponga was speaking in Lusaka yesterday, during a Gender consultative forum.

Dr Ponga explained that government’s robust programmes such as the Girl Education and Women Empowerment in Livelihood (GEWEL) project, has been the driving force towards reducing gender parity and women empowerment in the country.

The Ministry of Gender PS has since called on various stakeholders to discuss gender and development issues in relation to the five pillars of the Seventh National Development plan (7NDP).

And during discussions, European Union (EU) Health and Social Sector Attaché, Ester Bouma, lamented that it is sad that society and women have allowed Gender based violence (GBV) especially where women are abused by their husbands.

Ms Bouma explained that women are more profoundly affected by GVB as can be evidenced by the increase in cases reported to the police.

The Gender Consultative Forum was necessitated by the gap created after abolishing of the sector advisory groups and subsequent replacement by the cluster advisory group.