The Non-Governmental Organisations Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has called on political parties to help bridge the gender inequality gap by adopting women candidates at 50-50 per cent parity ahead of the 2011 presidential and general elections.
At a media briefing to launch activities in preparation for the celebrations to take place on September 23 at YWCA in Lusaka yesterday, NGOCC board chairperson Marian Munyinda said political parties must adopt more women candidates.
Ms Munyinda said in comparison with other countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, South Africa and Mozambique, Zambia had a lower number of women Cabinet ministers despite being an old democracy.
She said efforts to improve women representation in decision-making positions at both political and other levels should be scaled up.
She said while the fight for gender equality was growing old since it was started on September 25, 1985, achievements on the ground remained static and cited bickering among the women as part of the reason for the stagnation in women’s advancement.
Ms Munyinda said through member organisations such as the Zambia National Women’s Lobby Group (ZNWLB), NGOCC would identify credible women to contest for positions and adoption for candidacy at both parliamentary and presidential levels next year.
Ms Munyinda said the decision to set up the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) was good but lacks a clear plan of action to allow women access the funds without difficulty.
She said NGOCC was displeased that many provisions that should have dealt with social challenges faced by women and children in part three of the Bill of Rights in the Draft Constitution had been rejected.
And NGOCC in North-Western and Copperbelt provinces launched activities to mark the commencement of celebrations the organisation’s silver jubilee in September.
NGOCC liaison officer for the two provinces, Priscilla Chama Mwansa said during the launch in Solwezi yesterday that the occasion provided an opportunity for the women to reflect on the organisation’s achievements and challenges.
In Livingstone, Ms Munyinda urged non-governmental organisations and other institutions to be transparent and accountable in their dealings to instill confidence in their members as well as beneficiaries.
Ms Munyinda said there was need for NGOs to be transparent and accountable to their members and beneficiaries of their programmes if they had to continue existing.
She said this yesterday in Livingstone in a speech read for her by NGOCC active human rights activist Jean Mweene at a Press conference to launch the 25th Silver Jubilee Anniversary celebrations.
[ Times of Zambia ]
Ms Muyunda,I agree with you but our women need to prove to the nation that they are capable of serving.It will be injurious to cut off deserving men just cos we need the so called 50-50 at the expense of service delivery.Iam not being sexist but adoption should be on merit and not gender.
ba munyinda are you married if so then your husband taitamba bwino. mulelinganya amapuli nabaume. bible says a woman has to be submissive to a man. we cant be equal thats why we have different roles as men and women. a man will always be on top of a woman which ever way. even at funerals thats why you sleep in the house while men stick it out in the cold. during burial banamayo tamwikatako shovel
in africa we only have one female president ku liberia in europe its only ku german and then australia is it by design. banamayo accept your role dont fight for what isnt attainable
No man has stopped women from standing for any election.Its a level playing field,if you have what it takes to stand for election I am sure any party in zambia can adopt you.Unless you are talking about adopting for elections anything on two legs,with breasts and no bulge between its legs.
Unfortunately not pa Zed. Reasons are that-we claim that if a person cannot put his home in order,then he/she cannot rule a nation. Most of these women purpoting to convince us to usher in a woman are not even married. Joyce was recently married. A few others we know are not yet married to date,let alone “feed” from unknown men. It means,they cant stand authority or a community in the form of a nuclear family comprising a wife,husband and children. In any case, we are comfortable with RB, even if i want PACT. Let them prove that they are able to stand someone who knows them in and out, then we can get them there but as VJ@4 has put it, the playing field is open-problem with women is they want sympathy or getting there by other means like shagging.Not pa zed-you will be shagged for…
I don’t suppose the idea of 50-50 gender balance because men have always been paying for LOBOLA ever since. so if they want that to happen the NGOCC should first erase the issue of Lobola and the bible itself from Genesis to Revelation, i never read of a woman been a King , Captain or Leader at all. If Zambia is a Christian nation at all , why such confusions of 50-50.
I don’t support the idea of 50-50 gender balance because men have always been paying for LOBOLA ever since. so if they want that to happen the NGOCC should first erase the issue of Lobola and the bible itself from Genesis to Revelation, i never read of a woman been a King , Captain or Leader at all. If Zambia is a Christian nation at all , why such confusions of 50-50.
It is not just a matter of adopting candidates, but rather a matter of adopting credible candidates. Gender has nothing to do with. Actually, you will not even notice if the person is a woman or a man if that person performs according to expectation.
Ba Munyinda ikalenifye, no favours because one is a female. Leadership positions will only be aquired on merit and not gender, besides your fellow women have embarassed us, just check the number of women leaders who have been convicted, bounced 10million kwacha cheques, picking up fights at parliament grounds. sorry mayo imwe 50-50 gender balance wont be achieved