AS Zambia joins the rest of the world in commemorating this year’s International Women’s day, Zambia’s veteran politician and diplomat Vernon Mwaanga has says the day remains significant in the calendar as it is designated to honour women across the globe.
However, Dr Mwaanga has expressed concern over the low presentation of women in Zambia’s Parliament despite all the efforts and calls to have more women in leadership positions.
In a statement issued yesterday, Dr Mwaanga said women continue to suffer from under-representation, almost in every sphere of our lives.
“During the struggle for independence, women fought alongside men and endured the same level of humiliation from colonialists as men.
There is a general agreement on the African continent and in the world generally, that there can be no meaningful development with the participation of women,” Dr Mwaanga empahsised.
He has commended President Hakainde Hichilema ,for appointing more women to positions of Permanent Secretary, Ambassadors, High Commissioners and to other senior positions in government and parastatal organisations, than any other President.
” I hope that the Private Sector can emulate the President’s gender progressive example. The other state institutions such as the National Assembly, the Local Councils, which are elective, have far less women representation, because selection of candidates is rightly left to political parties. Political Parties have been disappointing , because in some cases women candidates are adopted in Constituencies where they cannot win,” he said.
Dr Mwaanga said husbands, boyfriends and other lovers have in the past put pressure on their wives and girlfriends to withdraw their candidatures.
“The net result is that we only have 26 women members of Parliament out 156 elected members and eight nominated members. It works out at 16 percent and out of over 1700 Local Councillors , there are around 137 Women Councillors,” he observed.
Dr Mwaanga says this development is not withstanding the fact that out of a total 7 million plus registered voters , 53.3 percent are women and 46.7 percent are men.
” This is a national disgrace, which requires immediate attention by all political parties,” he said.
He says it has been a long journey for women after 60 years calling for creation of special seats for women as part of the affirmative action, in the National Assembly and Loca lCouncils.
He says the women should compete against each other, in addition to those who come through Parliamentary Constituencies and Local Council Wards.
