Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
The National Water Supply and Sanitation Council (NWASCO) has reiterated the need to comprehensively engender the water supply and sanitation sector as water and sanitation are key development indicators.
NWASCO Public relations officer Rose Tembo says Institutionalizing gender mainstreaming is key in addressing equity in accessing water and sanitation services by men, women, boys and girls.
Ms. Tembo notes that mainstreaming gender in the water sector will only be achieved if accountability mechanisms are developed and enforced in line with the National Gender Policy.
She says as Zambia commemorates International Women’s Day, NWASCO has called on all water and sewerage companies to be gender responsive at policy, planning and implementation levels in the management of water supply and sanitation services.
Ms. Tembo says this is from a realization that gender, water and sanitation are at the centre of sustainable development and women are primary users of water and sanitation services as they have the responsibility for management of household water supply, sanitation and health.
She says NWASCO has since incorporated gender and HIV mainstreaming in its regulatory services to be responsive to cross cutting issues at the centre of development.
Ms. Tembo further states that so far two capacity building trainings on gender mainstreaming for all the eleven water and sewerage companies have been conducted in collaboration with the ministry of gender and child development.
NWASCO tomorrow, will join the country in commemorating International Women’s Day under the theme “Gender is my Agenda; Make it Happen.”