The Non-Governmental Organisation Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has called on the United Party for National Development (UPND) government to come up with a policy that will facilitate for a quarter representation of women in parliament.
NGOCC Executive Director Engwase Mwale said the 50 percent representation agenda which the organisation has been pushing for is failing.
Ms. Mwale said women representation in parliament can only be increased if government came-up with deliberate policies to make them lawmakers.
“The inclusion of women in all leadership positions will have a positive impact on the setting of priorities for national development,” she said.
Ms. Mwale added that increasing the number of women elected at local government and parliament level will improve Zambia’s ranking with regards to representation of women in political decision making positions.
She has since bemoaned the low number of females who have won parliamentary seats during the recent general elections.
Ms. Mwale explained that Zambia missed the opportunity in the just ended general elections to narrow the gender gap on achieving the 50-50 women and men representation in political positions.
“We are not happy with the current participation of women in the electoral matters. From our preliminary data analysis, the number of women elected to both parliamentary and local government levels falls far below 20 percent respectively,” she said.
She said NGOCC expects that President Hakainde Hichilema will consider nominating women for the eight Members of Parliament to cushion the low numbers of women in parliament.
She said nominating women will contribute to an increased representation of women in decision making at national level.
Ms. Mwale stated that NGOCC stands ready to discharge the watchdog role of providing checks and balances to the new administration in an objective, professional and independent manner.
She said Zambia is also a signatory to the United Nations Charter that compels the country to have more women representation in decision making positions by the year 2030.
Ms. Mwale has since expressed confidence that the UPND administration will encourage and support women to vie for decision making positions in order to achieve national development.
I beg to know if NGOCC or any women organisation ever sponsored a woman candidate to these political parties or even as an independent candidate. How do you reap when you never sowed at all. These 40% women must work for it to earn it competitively.
Kikikikiki women will never be satisfied either big or small.
In a real Democracy people select a leader they feel is most capable or competent to address their concerns, this decision should not be made on a basis of gender or race, but objectively. what this NGO should be looking at is addressing the real causes of the problem to make up for what lacks in women candidates in the eyes of the voters.
Bill 10 offered you guarranteed seats in parliament….. your rejected it. So keep quiet madam.
If you women were organised you would rule this country. The majority if voters are women. But you prefer to be ruled by men.
Chishala Kateka was the only woman who stood for presidency. She was getting zeros in most cases. Where were the women to vote for her? If all women had given her a vote , she would be president today
I don’t know if the president has already nominated 8 Members of Parliament, if not I propose the following names for consideration:
Sara Imutowana Yeta II,
Laura Miti
Dr Barbra Chanda (Manchester in UK)
NGOCC please support me.
This women movement is so useless why don’t they fund women politicians only the brave ones succeed why?
This is a talk women group!
Zambia Forward!
Shut up…you are the same people that rejected bill 10.
Whom do you blame if not yourselves? And do you ever bother to take stoke of the calibre of women that are floated to see if they meet the grade? Don’t rely on sympathy votes