MATHEWS MALAZIKA
Lusaka
AS PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema prepares to address Parliament tomorrow, the Non-governmental Gender Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has called for a comprehensive focus on the unique challenges and opportunities facing women and girls in Zambia.
In a statement yesterday, NGOCC chairperson Beauty Katebe highlighted that for the Government’s ambitious Grow Zambia Agenda to deliver inclusive economic expansion, women and girls must participate fully in design and practice.
“Women produce much of Zambia’s food, yet they remain locked out of land tenure, finance, irrigation and structured markets,” Ms Katebe said.
She said achieving national agricultural targets, like the 10 million tonnes maize goal, requires secure land rights, targeted input subsidies, and tailored extension services for female farmers.
Ms Katebe said expansion across mining, tourism and livestock exports should generate decent jobs, ownership stakes, and supply-chain opportunities for women-owned enterprises, fulfilling commitments outlined in the United Party for National Development (UPND) manifesto.
She welcomed the milestone presence of 63 female Members of Parliament, the highest number in Zambia’s history.
Ms Katebe said this democratic gain demands a stronger gender machinery to support female leadership effectively.
To achieve this, NGOCC expects the President to announce the operationalisation and adequate resourcing of the long-overdue Gender Equity and Equality Commission.
Furthermore, the organisation expects the head of State to outline concrete steps to expand fast-track courts for gender-based violence (GBV) cases, broaden survivor support networks, and fully operationalise the Anti-GBV Fund established under the Anti-GBV Act of 2011.
Ms Katebe also said in light of seasonal climate forecasts pointing to potential El Niño related drought risks, safeguarding the nation’s energy security and embedding gender equity into climate adaptation policies remain critical.
And Zambia Council for Social Development (ZCSD) executive director Leah Mitaba has also urged the President to focus on national peace and unity following the recent general election, describing social cohesion as paramount to driving national development. https://enews.daily-mail.co.zm/welcome/home
