President Edgar Lungu says his government’s vision is to have a Zambia free from gender inequalities. The President says in this regard, Zambia has pursued the gender equality objective since the holding of the first world conference on women in 1975 in Mexico which declared the first decade for women, and the holding of the fourth world conference which came up with the Beijing declaration and platform of action.
He, however, said that realizing this objective of gender equality has not been easy because society is still strongly patriarchal and is governed by male values that fight a woman.
President Lungu said the government is committed to ensuring that women and men, girls and boys are given equal value and opportunities in all areas of socio-economic development.
He has since called on traditional leaders to help the government achieve gender equality in our society.
President Lungu said this year’s theme for international women’s day “ I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights”, draws the government to the importance of driving the gender equality agenda across all generations hence the need to carry everyone along regardless of age.
President Lungu said this year marks 25 years since the adoption of the Beijing declaration and implementation of the platform of action and progress has been made in critical areas of action on the promotion of gender equality.
He added that the review of progress in the implementation of the platform of action in the last 25 years indicates that Zambia is progressively realizing the aspirations of the declaration and platform of action across all areas.
Speaking during the International Women’s Day Celebrations in Lusaka, President Lungu said this has been demonstrated by a positive trend in the gender inequality index which has continued to fall.
He said in addition, Zambia has strengthened its policy and legal frameworks with Gender having been mainstreamed into the long-term development planning process including, the current 7th national development plan.
President Lungu said with regard to the legislative framework, the constitution of Zambia, as amended, alludes to the equal worth of women and men and their rights to freely participate in all spheres of the economy.
He said as a result of the many interventions the government is implementing, there has been an increase in the reported number of cases of gender-based violence, from 15,153 in 2014 to over 22,000 to date.
President Lungu said this is a good indication of the people’s positive response towards this scourge but the increasing numbers are a source of concern to the government, hence, more needs to be done to ensure that this is curtailed.
He said the Government is further putting in place interventions to empower women, especially, those in rural areas to address the critical challenges that they face which include a project called girl’s education and women empowerment and livelihoods, providing agricultural equipment to chiefdoms to support women’s cooperatives to improve agricultural productivity, the program for eliminating child marriages in Zambia and offering scholarships to child marriage survivors and many other programs aimed at fighting gender-based violence and early marriages.
He has since asked leaders, traditional leaders and marriage counselors to ensure that they all help to address the ills of Gender-Based Violence and early marriages.
“I have come across traditional counselors who promote gender inequality such as inculcating wrong messages among young girls. Please stop it. You are embarrassing us. This message is also for the church. The church has a role to play to promote gender equality within the scriptural context”, he added.
He is still envisioning more than 7 years in State house…what a failure just go!!
The lack of decisive action against an epidemic like Corona virus makes me wonder if this govt is ready should it hit Zambia. Shockingly there is no effort to sensitize people on this deadly virus and once it hits that’s when this govt will seemingly try to do something against it. Why is PF a govt of reaction and not action. Most of the people don’t even know anything about this deadly virus. Where are people or programs airing on radio or television or health teams going round in communities sensitizing people on a language they understand? Gender inequality is not a problem right now, the economy is and the Corona virus is what are you as govt doing about it.
Work on corruption. Bushe tamumbwa how your friend Kagame is working? You don’t have to be perfect but please pull up your socks
His Accidency, President Clueless Lungu. Singularly, the most incompetent and clueless squanderer of Zambia’s 5 years of development. He needs to be voted out and removed as soon as yesterday. There are alternative sharp Zambian minds that can herald the renaissance and salvation of Zambia. So so painful to see a clueless individual degrading the highest office of the land.
Failing to read such speeches these days. Imagine I can’t even watch live TV broadcasts the way I used to, as a result I even miss the match pasts by our beloved women. Just lost all faith in these guys.
Please reveal and bring in the messiah for 2021, tired of the existing characters currently on the scene, including 2006 product Trible HH.
In terms of gender equality for general things like education and employment Zambia is doing way better than before, which has nothing do with anyone. One sector were gender equality has been ignored is politics, let ECL and his party promise that half the adoptions for 2021 parliamentary sits will be given to women, then we will know the gender equality he’s talking about is for real.
PF CAN YOU FIND SOMEBODY ELSE PLEASE, YOU WILL CRY, WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH RIVERS TO FILL YOUR TEARS. LOOK AT SYRIA JUST BECAUSE OF ONE PERSON, I DON’T NEED TO MENTION ZIMBABWE WE CAN ALL SEE, HEAR AND SMELL THE DECAY AS WELL AS LOST OPPORTUNITIES.
I agree with you sir.But when Mapenzi Chibulo and Shimunzila were killed.That is so against this beautiful vision.By the way how many women in the public service did your government retire in national interest on ethnic grounds?