The Non-governmental Gender Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has expressed its displeasure over political parties’ failure to adopt women as candidates in the Kabwata Parliamentary by elections coming up on 20th January, 2022.
All the seven candidates, who successfully filed in their nominations on Tuesday, are men.
NGOCC Executive Director Engwase B. Mwale said in a statement issued on Wednesday that the council is disappointed with political parties for not fielding women in the Kabwata by election.
Mrs. Mwale said the NGOCC is concerned over the lack of commitment by the political parties to enhance women’s participation in politics and ultimately decision-making positions.
She said it was unfortunate that not even the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) could lead by example ahead of Kabwata by election.
Mrs. Mwale said political parties and the Government must begin actualising Zambia’s commitment to gender equality at all levels as espoused in various regional and international treaties that the country has ratified.
She said it is clear that the exclusion of women from the governance process by political parties is deliberate and systemic.
“The Non-governmental Gender Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) wishes to register our disappointment with the choice political parties have made NOT to adopt women to participate in the Kabwata by election slated for January 20th 2022. As the women’s movement, we are extremely concerned by the lack of commitment by the political parties to enhance women’s participation in politics and ultimately decision-making positions,” Mrs Mwale said.
“NGOCC has noted with sadness that all the participating political parties have adopted men to the exclusion of women. We are particularly disappointed with the United Party for National Development (UPND), as the governing party for not leading by example,” she said.
“The numbers of women elected at local Government and Parliamentary levels after the August 2021 elections remain unacceptably low. It was therefore our hope that the political parties would take advantage of these by elections to redress the gender inequalities in these decision-making spaces.”
Mrs Mwale added:”It is high time that political parties and indeed the Zambian Government started actualizing Zambia’s commitment to gender equality at all levels as espoused in various regional and international treaties that the country has ratified.”
“It is becoming abundantly clear that the exclusion of women from the governance process by political parties is deliberate and systemic, further entrenching patriarchy in our society. It is against this background that we demand for a law that will compel political parties to adopt women so as to narrow the widening gender inequalities in the political sphere,” she stated.
“We would like to call upon all the women of this country to rise up and demand for their rightful spaces. Women cannot be reduced to mere spectators and cheer leaders in the governance of their own country. The obtaining of gender inequalities are totally unacceptable and a violation of women’s rights. The exclusion of women from participating in the governance of the country negates democracy. This discrimination must be stopped now,” Mrs Mwale concluded.
The Kabwata Parliamentary seat fell vacant after the death of UPND MP Levy Mkandawire in a road accident on 18 November, 2021.
Seven candidates successfully filed their nominations on Tuesday among them Chilufya Tayali of Economic and Equity Party, Sydney Zyambo of People’s Alliance for Change and Francis Libanda of the United Progressive Party.
Others are Clement Tembo of the Patriotic Front, Andrew Tayengwa of the United Party for National Development, Socialist Party’s and Tripher Ng’andu and Henry Muleya of PeP.
Meanwhile, ECZ could not allow the Democratic Party to contest the election because of internal wrangles that are currently before court as party President Harry Kalaba battles his vice Judith Kabemba.
The campaign period for the elections commenced on Tuesday 28th December 2021 after 15:00 hours and will end at 18:00 hours on Wednesday, 19th January 2022.
Adoption should always be based on merit and not simply based on gender. All qualified women should be able to participate
Apparently if any woman is popular in any constituency they could easily stand as Independent and and prove a point of being popular than crying like it should be just given or be adopted on gender balancing or like society has to do women a favour. No. Women like men have to have the support and popularity within any constituency and compete on equal terms and it’s called equal rights and rules
NGOCC making statement in order to please pay masters. How many women applied? Who are this women ? Are they of good standing in that Constituency? Can they compete favorably with other competitors? My Suggestion, form a “Woman Space Party” and use it to sponsor Women candidate.
No no and no it is not just about adoption it costs money to participate in an election and women need to rise to the challenge of supporting their fellow women vying for adoption even as independent candidates. Men have done a lot to support women. Women generally find it hard to support each other. So whose fault is it?
Imwe mukalalila fye lyonse?
Women need to understand that things will not be given to them on a silver plate just because they are women. Frankly I think women should go back to their traditional roles as house wives and only behave like a man when there is no man in their lives.
Compare how many women are in upnd govt vs those that were inthe mighty pf govt, then talk to me
These organisations have no shame at all when women need their help they are quiet only parrot the same words every year yet their donors give them enough money for seminars and even to assist women candidates. They do not care about the quality or competences of the women elected a typical example is Minister of Information…the girl doesn’t meet the criteria to be a Minister in that office but HH7 appointed her to make up gender number. She is so dull and useless that yesterday she was commissioning a carpark at ZNBC.
Yes…. Parliament need smell some perfume from females, these days Parliament smells like in pub.
If any of the parties thought there was a woman formidable enough to go through and give them the seat then that woman should have surely been adopted but from their point of view they have to choose what they consider to be their best candidate whether man or woman.