In separate events held across Zambia, government officials yesterday reiterated a dual commitment to safeguarding the educational rights of both boys and girls, highlighting specific challenges each group faces.
In Lusangazi, Eastern Province Deputy Permanent Secretary Lewis Mwape called for a concerted effort from traditional leadership and the public to ensure the boy child is given an equal opportunity to get an education.
Dr. Mwape bemoaned that in the Nyampande Chiefdom and other Nsenga lands, most boy children have been turned into cattle headers, a vice he stated is hampering their education. He urged traditional leaders and the public to take advantage of the government’s free education policy to ensure boys attend school.
“Your President Hakainde Hichilema has made education free, in this respect we call on your collaboration… to ensure that young people are allowed to go to school,” Dr. Mwape said during the memorial service of the late Chief Nyamphande the Fourth and the celebration of Nyampande Day.
The Deputy Permanent Secretary also urged support for the upcoming Mass Voter Registration exercise, set to run from October 13 to November 11, 2025, calling it an integral part of the electoral process.
Meanwhile, at the same event, Musanzala Member of Parliament Elias Daka urged the public to uphold their culture. Chief Nyamphande’s representative, Mwalimu Lungu, appreciated the government for its unwavering support in upholding culture and tradition.
In a parallel event in Mansa, the government reiterated its commitment to ensuring girls are safe, educated, and equipped to contribute to national development.
Luapula Province Permanent Secretary Prudence Chinama, in a speech read on her behalf by Deputy Permanent Secretary Evans Sikabbubba, said the government reaffirms a strong commitment to empowering girls considering the difficult realities they face. She outlined key government strides, including the Free Education Policy, the Keeping Girls in School programme, and the landmark Children’s Code Act of 2022.
Mansa District Commissioner Ireen Chivweta, speaking at the Lubende Combined School gathering, praised girls as future “drivers of transformation” who face challenges like climate change and poverty. She said ongoing reforms indicate the legislative progress being made to ensure every girl is safe, educated, and empowered to lead.
A girl child representative, Trascillar Chola, narrated the challenges faced by girls in the province, stating they are forced into early marriage, pushed out of school by teenage pregnancy, and miss classes due to a lack of sanitary pads. Chola called for collective efforts to address the needs of the girl child.
