Wina notes need for strengthening women public voice

Gender and Child Development Minister Inonge Wina says there is need to strengthen the public voice of women if Zambia is to become an inclusive society where the right to participate in the country’s governance can be enjoyed by everyone.

Ms. Wina says this therefore requires deliberate efforts to ensure that women are empowered with all the necessary skills and opportunities to improve the quality and quantity of leadership offered by women.

She has also noted that effective democratic politics can never be achieved if the bedrock of present and future leaders in political parties and the nation as whole ignore the rules and norms of equality in political leadership and decision making processes.

Ms. Wina says it will not be until this scenario is collectively rectified will the country not see the current glaring differences in the manner developmental decisions are made.

She adds that the attainment of the SADC gender protocol, which the Zambian government has ratified, will also remain a pipe dream if the country does not effectively mainstream gender in political parties’ constitutions, party rules and regulations.

Ms. Wina was speaking this morning when she opened a two days roundtable meeting on Gender in Political Parties in Zambia organized by the Swedish organization International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) and the Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP).

Speaking earlier, International IDEA senior program manager for Democracy and Gender, Rumbidzai Kandawasvika-Nhundu described Zambia’s deficient of gender equality in decision making as a threat to its democracy.

Ms. Kandawasvika-Nhundu says it is for this reason that her organization, which has six African member countries, has organized the two days roundtable meeting with FODEP to help the country address the issue of ender inequality.

And FODEP Executive Director MacDonald Chipenzi says gender inequality can also be addressed with a new constitution that is able to address people’s demands for an effective and functioning democracy.

Mr. Chipenzi says this is what therefore should give people in the country impetus to rise above partisan interests and make their calls loud and clear to the government to enact a new people driven constitution before the 2016 general elections.