Zambia: Rights activist hails government

10 March 2010, Zambia Daily Mail
URL: http://www.daily-mail.co.zm/media/news/viewnews.cgi?category=8&id=1268120183

Lusaka: Human Rights Commissioner Pixie Yangailo has commended Government for its continued commitment to programmes aimed at enhancing women’s economic empowerment and the measures being put in place to create equal opportunities for women.

Ms Yangailo said it is gratifying to see progress being made by Government in the implementation of the gender policy.  “The adoption of the national gender policy in 2000 has brought significant attention to gender issues in the country and has helped scale up the affirmative action in all sectors of the economy,” she said.

Ms Yangailo said in Lusaka yesterday during the commemoration of the International Women’s Day under the theme ‘Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All’, that the commission looks forward to seeing even greater progress in this area so that women can be fully empowered to realise their full potential and contribute to the growth of the Zambian economy.

Minister of Gender and Women in Development Sarah Sayifwanda commended stakeholders for the role they have continued to play in enhancing gender equality in Zambia.  Ms Sayifwanda said the ministry will continue to strengthen collaboration with all stakeholders in the gender sector to contribute to the achievement of the national vision on gender equality and equity.

“Most of the success that Zambia has managed to score in terms of women representation in decision-making positions is because of partnership with stakeholders. I therefore commend all the stakeholders for their contribution to this noble cause,” she said.

Ms Sayifwanda said women play an important role in society and that society should be seen to appreciate them.  She also said this year’s theme calls for the active engagement among Government institutions, private sector, civil society and faith-based organisations to ensure the attainment of equal rights and opportunities for all.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) resident co-ordinator Macleod Nyirongo said women represent 51 percent of the total population of Zambia and that it is cardinal that equal opportunity should be a priority.  Mr Nyirongo said Zambian women represent between 70 and 80 percent of the labour force in farming and that this can serve as a clear indication why affirmative action for equal opportunity and women’s empowerment is worth fighting for.

“Equal opportunity for men and women is a fight to redeem the lost opportunity of more than half the society. It is also a challenge worth overcoming at any cost without any delay,” he said.

Mr Nyirongo said women’s empowerment and equitable development is not only for moral justice but also one of human rights and economic imperative.
He said Women’s Day should be celebrated better than in the past decades because so many women are now holding decision-making positions.

Meanwhile, former First Lady Maureen Mwanawasa has urged women to continue fighting until the 50 percent equal representation in all decision-making positions is achieved.  Mrs Mwanawasa said while Government is there to create a conducive environment for women, it is up to them to utilise that opportunity. She said women should be focused and use the conducive environment as a platform to demand their rights.

“It is impossible for Government to come in your homes or organisations and knock to ask what you think should be done for women. The weapon remains with us women to push Government to ensure that equal rights and representations are attained,” Mrs Mwanawasa said.

She said women should not only focus on having representation in political offices but in all different sectors.  “Politics is not the only ground where women can be seen to have representation because equal representation means all fields of decision-making positions,” Mrs Mwanawasa said.

She said she is happy that Zambia has moved a step further in having women in decision-making positions although more needs to be done to achieve gender parity.