Tourism and Environment Minister Catherine Namugala has urged all major political parties to ensure that the current female parliamentarians return the seats in this year’s elections.
Ms. Namugala says the female parliamentarians who would be clocking five years in office need to be given a second chance as this will enable them to gain more experience and contribute meaningfully to the country’s national development.
Ms. Namugala, who is also Isoka East Member of Parliament, however, says it is encouraging to note that the number of female parliamentarians has continued to increase.
She added that women need to be encouraged to take up leadership roles for them to manage national affairs.
Ms. Namugala has been a parliamentarian for Isoka East for almost ten years now.
[ QFM ]
Not ‘rebels’ like Sinyangwe and Chitika Molobeka they are opportunists.
Catherine, Zambian women are very capable, yourself included but you would all rather let the men take over. All you women in paliament know the kind of men you are serving with and yet do nothing about it, GBM a batterer of women is still your friend.
I just saw the new MP in Mporokoso hopped on a woman’s back. That was a very symbolic picture. Zambian women would do anything for their men.
So really, Cathy the only people you should be urging here are the women themselves.
It depends ngati ni ma performers kuma cnstituencies yabo. Otherwise even if they are adopted, they will be voted out by the electorates.
Hon Namugala is speaking from experience.With due respect she may have gone to parliament as beuty pegeant but now she is proud owner and the lady bihind the the first policy document on Tourism.
Congratulations for her acquired experince .Now as my coleague a s said above ,women have to merit their retain to the august house.
Against quality block voting has been bringing dead woods in parliament who add no value and at times they are captured on camera sleeping.
We request that women who have what it takes ,women who have some to offer stand in 2011 year which is promising to make difference.
We would like to have a woma to rise to presidential levels i.e after HH ,others,and Sata.
Where there are no visions people perish.May women of valour stand out.Maureen amongst these.
Yes well said, females should be giving the chances as well
Cathy can you first account for the hippos your ministry slaughtered in MMD’s desperate effort to woo voters in the just ended Mporokoso by-election which your lost to a man whose rating in the run up to the polls was below 30%? Well the people in your constituency will decide whether you had performed better or not to deserve a third term!
Zambian version of Affirmative Action. LOL
Since when is it OK to have quotas in politics? In a Democracy it is the people’s power (votes) that count. Not whether Namugala feels a certain way about the composition of Parliament. Just because you are a woman, or a man for that matter, should not guarantee you a seat in Parliament. Performance, performance, and yes, performance again!
If you perform, your Party and Constituency will see your works and reward you with an extended stay in Parliament. Unlike some of you women folk who get a chance to “REPRESENT” and yet you go to Lusaka, learn some fashion, get addicted to expensive Salons, some Jaribu, and you forget about the people who sent you there. Then after five years you want to start playing the “WOMAN CARD”?! Fight for your seats just like everybody else, Madam!
Yes much as we would like the number of female parliamentarians increase the criteria for their selection should not just be gender.
They must be capable leaders who can deliver and not just moribund ones simply because they are women
Our mentality as Africans is to push women down regardless of their high performance. The idea to retain women is good but should be based on merit. Alot of time and resources have been spent camapigning for women’s rights. Let women campaign as men’s equals rather than cry for mercy. Further, such ideas should begin with Cabinet Appointments. Currently out of a 25 member Cabinet, there are only 4 women representing a negligible 16%. As a point of departure Madam Namugala, you go and tell your President to nominate more women and appoint them Ministers.
In as much as we appreciate the minister’s call to have all female parliamentarians retained by their respective political parties, it is important that those who aspire, just like male counterparts meet certain benchmarks or criteria. In that way, we will be able to sieve-off those candidates vying to be parliamentarians by virtue of being women when in actual fact they are potential non performers. For those who have been serving as MPs, I dont think they should worry because their works will speak for them. All in all, the electorate have a bigger say!!
Namugala, should also know that being elected an MP is not an end it self for women. In fact the sky is never the limit. So since she comes out like a real democrat, let her educate top MMD officials to democratic allow those women who feel they have what it takes to challenge for any position including the Presidency for that matter. Women should not just cry to be MPs alone. I wonder why women in MMD and indeed in big opposition political parties get so docile when it comes to intra party democracy? Women please stand up and be counted!
All PF lebel MPs are standing on the MMD ticket,no problem. Be part of the ballot revolution,come 2011.
Vera Chiluba is one useless mp and minister in mmd. Should we vote her back!
#14 has some misgivings about this and rightly thinks the suggestion by Namugala should not be carelessly implemented. Really, is Vera Chiluba and George Kunda fit for parliament, the latter being mentally and physically unstable.
Zambian fear a highly educated woman till this day I know not why.
Great point Ms. Namugala. If women only knew that they are the majority in Zambia. @ no# 7 Kalos2121 hahahahahaha you have made my day.
14 is not afraid to speak his/her mind….Every one should stand up to be counted.16 Zambians do not fear educated women for what. may be they just ignore them if they are arrogant. We have seen hard working female MPs Namely Hon Namugala, Hon Siliya, Hon Masebo,….. Hon F.Sinyangwe is arrogant. may be she can stand on MMD ticket.
Let us support our womenfolk. They have plenty to offer the nation.
LT, the spelling is retain and NOT return, thanks.
Much as we appreciate and support the retention of our mothers in the great House,this should be dependant on their peformance.Some mothers spend the whole day in parliament drinking Coffee full of caffein so that they don’t doze off,alas they end sleeping and contribute nothing at all.Look at their bodies it is Ballon or Onion Type down there due to mass eating and less contributions.Educational background should also play a pivotal role……Ha ha ha the likes of VERAH CHILUBA TEMBO.What has she done so far,nothing (MASIPA),so mayo Namugala you should have added these attributes than this oral incontince you have shown us.
Fyakale fyo. Merit ishould be the in-thing, not gender …..eish.
Thanks 14. I did not know Vera was still in Parliament let alone in government as deputy minister.Waste of tax payers money. She should have sued Chiluba for maintenance.
Ms Namugala you’re hurting women’s chances.So a woman needs 5 more years to gain experience?Which means a new male MP comes to the table with experience by virtue of being male.Ms Namugala in USA they’ve even registered dogs to vote-point being the system or arrangement is rotten.If we’ve had 47yrs with barely anything to show for it why do i want to waste another precious 5yrs?
Hahahaha!! What a s…….d idea that women should be in Parliament for the first 5 years as trainees and then be given another 5 years as representatives of the electorate. This “women this”, “women that” mentality has to end as everyone has an equal opportunity in a democracy. Women should fight for political positions just like their men counterparts do.
Edith Nawakwi is President of some political party but what has she achieved so far? Totally nothing and the FDD is now just on paper,from being one of the biggest opposition parties. In 2008, instead of fighting to be elected President of the country (Nawakwi) she chose to became an MMD cadre and campaigned for an MMD candidate, RB.